UPDATED: Edgewood Car Crash, Chase Began in Road Rage; Man Shot

A Wilkinsburg man involved in a road rage incident Saturday morning was shot in the thigh after an argument at a gas station turned into a chase through Edgewood.

Edgewood Police Chief Robert Payne said Johnny Johnson, 18, was a victim of the incident which occurred around 9:15 a.m. Saturday. After being chased by a man driving a burgundy Ford Taurus, he crashed a car at the address of 1415 Walnut St. in Edgewood near Elmer.

“On Friday night, he was down at Station Square and met a girl,” Payne said. “They stayed together and on Saturday, the girl asked him to get gas in her car, so she gave him the keys and money to get gas in her green Dodge Intrepid.”

In initial reports, the car was said to be stolen, but Johnson had been trying to do a favor. Payne said after Johnson took the car to a Wilkinsburg gas station, the driver of the Ford Taurus cut him off, then got out of the car and exchanged words with him. That driver then pulled out a gun and pointed it at Johnson.

Johnson left in the car, and the chase began.

“The chase went through Center towards Walnut in Edgewood,” Payne said. “Then, the burgundy Ford driver has his gun out the window.”

The suspect, who is not identified at this time, fired three shots, one of which hit a parked car on Walnut, and also hit the Dodge Intrepid Johnson was driving.

After crashing the car into a garage, Johnson ran from the scene. A neighbor gave police a description and Johnson was taken into custody soon after.

“They take Johnny into custody and he complains about pain in the upper thigh,” Payne said. “He had a bullet wound in the the thigh caused by the shooting and was transported to Shady Side Presbyterian Hospital.”

Allegheny County Police are now investigating the case.

“It was definitely a road rage incident,” Payne said.