A San Diego man shot in the chest last week during what investigators are calling a road rage incident spoke exclusively to NBC 7 about the the bullet that went through his chest, narrowly missing his heart, lungs, bones and major arteries.
"The moment I saw the impact, I thought I had five minutes to live because I thought my heart was gone and my lungs were punctured," said Jonathan Golding.
Golding says he got off work and was driving slower than moving traffic on the right-hand lane of Intersate 8 because his car was getting restored and could not operate faster.
"[The other driver] was going around 90 miles per hour when he caught up to me and starts tailgating me on the low speed lane," Golding said. "He decided to stay behind me the whole time, all the way to the [Interstate] 5."
Golding said he started gesturing at the driver in the white sedan, asking, "what are you doing?" That's when the victim said the suspect passed him, stopping in front of his car and break-checking him, down to about 30 miles per hour on the I-5 North near Sea World Drive.
"Again, I waved my hands asking what he was doing and that's when he shot me through the window," Golding said.
The California Highway Patrol said the freeway shooting happened around 11 p.m. when a suspect fired shots at a victim driving along the 5.
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Upon impact, when Golding looked down, he said he thought the bullet destroyed his heart and lungs. He was able to pull over and call 911 as the suspect's car drove away.
"It missed my vitals by millimeters...the bullet...it missed my heart, my arteries, my lungs, missed my bones," Golding said as he showed NBC7 the point of impact.
The CHP said no arrests have been made, and described the incident as a "road rage altercation."
The suspect is described as a dark skinned man, 20 to 30 years old, with short hair driving what the victim and a witness describe as a newer model white sedan, similar to eith a Scion TC or a 2010 Hyundai Genesis according to the victim. A female passenger was with the suspect in the car.
Anyone who may have witnessed the incident with these two vehicles is being asked to contact CHP Investigator B. Clinkscales at (619) 220-5492.
It has only been a week since the shooting, but Golding is able to walk, move his arm, and even drive.
"People in the hospital cannot believe it, that I'm standing right now," he said.
