Teen charged following road rage, shooting incident on I-70 in mid Mo.

SALINE COUNTY, Mo. -- An 18-year-old Boonville, Missouri, man is facing charges following a road rage incident last week that led to a shooting on Interstate 70 in Saline County.

The Saline County Prosecutor on Friday formally charged Mason Mayhew with first-degree assault, armed criminal action and unlawful use of a weapon.

According to court documents, troopers with the Missouri State Highway Patrol responded to a crash just after 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 27, on westbound I-70 at the Marshall Junction, just east of U.S. 65 Highway.

The cars involved were reported to be a Ford Focus and a Chevrolet Equinox. Court documents say the driver of the Ford and another car, later identified as a Nissan Altima, were involved in a road rage/racing incident before the crash.

The drivers of the Ford and Chevrolet were both taken to hospitals for their injuries.

During the crash investigation, troopers discovered apparent bullet defects in the Ford. One apparent defect was located in the right rear quarter panel, above the rear passenger tire. The rear passenger window and driver's window were also broken, and there was an apparent bullet defect in the front passenger seat headrest.

Initial evidence indicates a gunshot broke the rear passenger window, traveled through the front passenger headrest, and exited the driver's window, according to court documents. Two 9mm shell casings were recovered from the scene.

One witness stated they were driving west on I-70 when they were passed by the Ford on the right shoulder and then passed by the Nissan in the left lane, according to court documents.

Both drivers were speeding, and the witness stated they saw the driver of the Nissan with his arm out of the driver's window, holding a gun and potentially firing at the Ford. The driver of the Ford then lost control and crashed into the Chevrolet. The witness captured the incident on their dash camera.

Court documents say another witness stated they were driving west on I-70 when they noticed the Ford speeding on the shoulder and then cut off the first witness behind them. The driver of the Nissan then passed the second witness and cut them off before shooting at the Ford.

Mayhew was arrested on Thursday, Aug. 28, following a traffic stop in Meade County, Kansas. At the time of his arrest, Mayhew had multiple firearms in his possession, and evidence was found connecting him to the I-70 shooting.

A passenger in Mayhew's car was also arrested. The passenger told investigators Mayhew had asked them to travel with him to visit a friend in Arizona on Aug. 27.