Road rage shooting explodes fireworks in truck, burning toddlers, Texas cops say

A father and his family were driving in Houston after buying fireworks for the Fourth of July when he and another driver started arguing in a case of road rage, media outlets and authorities reported.

As the argument continued along the highway, the men pulled their vehicles into a gas station and the other driver shot at the family’s truck, Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said on Twitter. The father then drove away, but the truck ignited because gunfire had hit the fireworks inside, Gonzalez said.

Flames engulfed the family’s truck as fireworks burst in the air, according to video obtained by KTRK. A mother and two toddlers also were inside, Gonzalez said on Twitter.

People who saw the fire rushed to rescue the family from the truck and took the family to a nearby emergency room, Gonzalez said on Twitter. The fire badly burned the two children, who are in critical condition, Gonzalez said in a tweet late Thursday.

The children, ages 1 and 2, were flown to a burn hospital in Galveston, Texas, while the father and mother were taken there by ambulance, according to KHOU.

The Harris County Sheriff’s Office is still investigating and looking for the shooter, officials said.

“Another horrific scene,” Gonzalez said on Twitter.

This story was originally published July 5, 2019 at 8:54 AM with the headline "Road rage shooting explodes fireworks in truck, burning toddlers, Texas cops say."