Man Arrested After Shooting Pregnant Woman During Road Rage Incident

BRADENTON — Manatee County Sheriff’s Office detectives have arrested a Riverview man they say shot multiple rounds into a vehicle during a road rage incident in Palmetto on Sunday. Vincent Steele, 50, is charged with five counts of Attempted Murder.

At approximately 5:30 p.m., the occupants of a pick-up truck were traveling north on Business U.S. 41 in Palmetto, where it merges with U.S. 41 when the driver of a BMW sedan (Steele) attempted to pass the victim's truck in the merge lane.

Steele’s rear bumper made contact with the victim's front bumper, causing Steele to lose control and spin off into the grassy shoulder in the 6900 block of US 41. During the investigation and statements from an independent witness, deputies learned the victim stopped to check on the driver, at which point Steele exited his vehicle, ran up to the victim's passenger door, and fired seven rounds at the victim's truck.

A 36-year-old female passenger, pregnant with twins, was struck multiple times in the lower torso. After realizing his fiancée had been injured, the driver of the pick-up truck drove her to Manatee Memorial Hospital. Neither of the babies were struck by a projectile.

She was later transported to Tampa General Hospital for surgery. As of Monday, both the mother and the unborn babies were listed in stable condition. The driver of the truck, 57, and a 9-year-old female passenger were not injured.

MCSO says that Steele remained on the scene and spoke with deputies before being arrested.