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Gene Kennedy reportingSouth Salt Lake Police have a mystery on their hands. Around 3:30 this morning, a car was parked at a stoplight at 33rd South and West Temple. Someone then came up and shot the driver in the face.
Police say the victim is lucky to be alive.
Unfortunately, police don't have much to go on. There are a handful of witnesses, but police say no one saw the shooting. However, investigators think someone out there did. 33rd South and West Temple is a well-traveled intersection and this was violence right out in the open.
The driver was at a red light in right-hand lane when someone shot him in the face. When the driver hit the gas, some scary moments followed as he drove onto the wrong side of 3300 South. Luckily he didn't hit any cars but some scary moments followed.
"It went onto the sidewalk, struck a bus stop sign, a bus bench and a concrete garbage can or ashtray, then veered back onto33rd south where he came to rest."
The driver, bleeding profusely inside the car, stumbled out and collapsed in the middle of 3300 South.
Capt. Tracy Tingey, South Salt Lake Police Dept.: "Right where the crime scene technicians are taking photographs, that's where the victim was found lying on his back. The cones that you see throughout the scene are actually from the point of where he was shot, to the intersection at West Temple all the way up. So the victim's head was outside the window."
The victim survived. He's in fair condition at LDS hospital but unable to talk to police.
Capt. Tracy Tingey / South Salt Lake Police: "Whether this person was targeted or this was random, or a road rage incident we're just not sure."
Police hope maybe the car can help tell the story.
Capt. Tracy Tingey / South Salt Lake Police: "We're hoping there may be some information about where he was before this happened, what he was up to."
Witness would also help, but the few police have, all came after the shooting. Police think someone may have seen a person talking with the driver outside his window. or saw a car next to the victim's vehicle. That person can help in this case. If you have any information on this case, please call South Salt Lake Police.
