Shots fired after crash near intersection of William Street and South West End Boulevard in Cape

Shots were fired by a driver after multiple vehicle accidents occurred about 2:30 p.m. Thursday near the intersection of William Street and South West End Boulevard in Cape Girardeau, according to statements from police and witnesses at the scene.

A witness who requested to be identified as Mr. Andrews described the entire incident.

Mr. Andrews said he was westbound on William Street when he heard an impact behind him. Mr. Andrews said that in his rearview mirror he saw a gray truck crashing into a silver Ford Focus.

At the scene, a damaged silver Ford Focus was parked near the intersection of William Street and South Park Avenue.

Upon seeing the collision, Mr. Andrews said he struck a curb as he swerved away from the oncoming gray truck as it drove “erratically” toward the intersection of William Street and South West End Boulevard.

The witness said the gray truck collided with a gray Hyundai Elantra in the intersection, and an occupant of the Hyundai rolled out of the car onto the ground.

The intersection is one of nine intersections in Cape Girardeau equipped with traffic cameras connected to fiber networks. The City of Cape Girardeau website states public records from the fiber-connected cameras’ recordings are retained for 30 days.

According to Cape Girardeau police Sgt. Joey Hann, the drivers engaged in a verbal altercation after the collision, which occurred in the intersection of William Street and South West End Boulevard.

Hann stated one of the drivers began to flee the scene, and the driver of the second vehicle retrieved a handgun from their vehicle and fired shots at and struck the vehicle as it left the scene.

“The driver who had fired the shots has been located and arrested by Cape Girardeau police officers who were on scene quickly,” Hann stated. “The driver is being held at the Cape Girardeau Municipal Jail on charges stemming from this incident.”

At the time of publication, Hann stated police are unable to release any definitive information regarding the driver of the gray truck who reportedly fled the scene.

A suspect vehicle did cross into Illinois, according to the Illinois State Police, but the matter is being handled by the Cape Girardeau Police Department.