DENVER — A driver is warning others after he was reportedly chased and shot at for seven miles while traveling on Interstate 225 in the Denver metro area earlier this month.
Terrell Padilla said he was driving home on Feb. 4 when a vehicle came up behind him in the area of I-225 and Mississippi Avenue and someone inside started shooting at him.
"I looked in my rearview mirror and I saw a car coming up behind me fast with no headlights, and they slowed down to my speed and started sort of shooting at me. And that's when I started just taking off," Padilla told Denver7. "I probably just went into fight or flight mode. So I just started running. I didn't know what exactly they were shooting me with. All I know is that they were chasing me and they kept shooting at me no matter how fast I was going."
Padilla said he was on the phone with 911 during the incident and was eventually able to get out of harm's way after traveling for seven miles. He later found 13 bullet holes in his car.
Our partners at The Denver Post reported that Denver metro authorities are investigating several shootings that occurred on I-225 and I-25.
According to Denver Police Department spokesperson Sean Towle, between 1 a.m. and 5:30 a.m. on Feb. 5, the department received four calls about potential shots fired on roadways between southwest and northwest Denver. No one was injured in those incidents.
Towle said investigators located a vehicle that was allegedly involved but have not identified a suspect.
"Obviously, this could be a very scary situation. So if you see something like this happen on the roadway, please call police right away," Towle said.
In response to Denver7's inquiry about similar incidents, Aurora PD said, "It appears that we have 3 open cases related to the same incident."
Padilla is thankful he wasn't harmed and is focused on making drivers aware.
"I want people to be aware of what's going on out there at night and stuff, especially late at night. I just, I don't want anybody to go through what I went through," he said.
Padilla said his insurance won't cover the cost of the damage, which is estimated to be about $2,000. His friends have launched a GoFundMe fundraiser to help with expenses.
Anyone with information about the shootings, or if you believe you are a potential victim, is asked to call Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 720-913-7867.
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