Piles of shattered glass gleamed around Northeast 106th Avenue and Northeast Halsey Street, reminding Traci King of a night she’d rather forget.
“I’m not sure; it’s a little blurry.” “This could have gone so differently,” King explained.
Around 6:30 p.m. on Monday, King was traveling east on Northeast Halsey Street when she said a car appeared out of nowhere and crossed in front of her. King collided with the automobile, destroying her front end in the process. King claimed she heard three gunshots just before the incident, which appeared to be coming from two distinct automobiles, including the one she hit. Three bullets struck King’s automobile, nearly missing her.
“The police and everybody’s just been saying how lucky I am,” according to King. “And I know.”
King pulled over and contacted 911. She claimed the automobiles involved raced away and continued shooting. Police say a 15-year-old boy was hit and sent to the hospital.
“There was just gunfire, a lot of shell casings,” King said.
Neighbors and police helped King get out of her wrecked car. Thankfully, her only injuries were bruises.
King’s coworker launched a GoFundMe page to help her pay for lost income and other expenses resulting from the collision.
“There are very good people in the world, and he is one of them,” King said of her coworker. “And the people who came out and helped me that day,” she recalled, sobbing.
“It’s crazy that the bullets were so close,” remarked King’s daughter, Elizabeth Jeza. “It seems like there are a lot of unknowns. We’re simply glad she’s safe, OK, and still with us.”
King expressed hope that anyone with information on individuals responsible for the recent violence will come forward and share it with authorities.
“It’s just the right thing to do to try to speak up,” Martin Luther King stated. “Try to keep this from happening again.”