MILTON, Wash. — A deadly road rage confrontation on I-5 near Milton ended with a man shot and killed. The Washington State Patrol said the incident was between a female motorcyclist and a male driver.
The Pierce County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the man who died at scene as 60-year-old Bruce Jones.
According to investigators, the female motorcyclist and a man in a car stopped and began fighting on the ground in the left lane of southbound I-5 near Emerald Street, just before 5 p.m. Thursday.
KIRO7 learned that the woman on the bike is Aubrey Bowlin, who troopers said is 23 years old. She was detained at the scene last night and then released.
She told KIRO7 she’s not ready to talk on camera but said she is recovering, both physically and emotionally.
State troopers said they're still investigating whether the death was a homicide or self-defense.
People in the motorcycle community said road rage on I-5 is getting worse.
“Extremely dangerous,” said Dale Gray, who commutes by motorcycle to work every day. He owns South Bound Honda, a motorcycle dealership.
“The more traffic you get, the worse it gets. You don’t get these road rage incidents on secondary roads,” he said.
Troopers said Bowlin, on her motorcycle, had pulled over along the freeway with Jones, who was in an SUV. The two ended up getting into a physical fight.
Witnesses say Jones hit her, and that's when she pulled out her gun and shot him.
Jones’ neighbors in Roy said it’s tough to believe he’d be involved in an incident such as this.
“That's a shock, really. He is such a nice person,” said Betty Zeylmaker, who has been Jones’ neighbor for nearly 30 years.
Bowlin didn’t want to speak on camera, but said the man got out of his car and approached her.
A GoFundMe to help with her legal fees says she was “involved in an altercation wherein she had to fight for her life.”
Gray, who rides frequently, said he’s been nearly run off the road by angry drivers.
“There’s a lot of aggressive drivers and, on a motorcycle, you really have to pay attention,” he said.
Jones died at the scene. Bowlin called 911 and cooperated with authorities.
“Over just a few minutes of time. It’s very tragic,” Gray said of Jones' death.
Troopers said Bowlin was released and no charges have been filed, but there is still an active criminal investigation underway to determine if the death was a homicide or self-defense.
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