Teen shot in road rage attack kept alive to have baby

Article content

A pregnant girl who was shot in the head during a road rage attack was kept on life support so she could deliver her baby.

Article content

Katelynn Strate, 17, of Ponchatoula, La., who was 28 weeks pregnant, was with her boyfriend driving to his mother’s house on Sunday morning when the vehicle they were in, a Ford Expedition, encountered a Dodge truck travelling in the same direction, according to NOLA.com.

Article content

Article content

The driver of the Dodge, identified as 54-year-old Barry West, approached Strate and her boyfriend, allegedly firing a gun through the car which struck the pregnant girl.

“The investigation has determined after the two vehicles were tailgating and brake-checking each other, West shot one round into the Expedition travelling in front of him where the victim was seated in the front passenger seat,” the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.

Article content

Article content

“When the driver realized the victim was shot in the head, they called 911 and drove the victim directly to the hospital,” cops added.

West told police that he believed the occupants’ of Strate’s vehicle had shot at him first, however “evidence has confirmed there were no other shots fired in the incident and there was no weapon in the vehicle the victim was travelling in.”

The sheriff’s office confirmed on Monday that the victim’s baby had been delivered via emergency C-section and was doing well in an area NICU, while Strate was in critical condition.

However, it was since updated that the girl had died following the incident, and her family decided to donate her organs.

The baby “continues to do well under medical care,” the sheriff’s office added.

Article content

RECOMMENDED VIDEO

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

Play Video

West was initially booked into the Tangipahoa Parish Jail on four counts of attempted second-degree murder, one count of illegal use of a weapon, and obstruction of justice.

However, following Strate’s death, the charges were upgraded to include one count of second-degree murder.

Sheriff Gerard Sticker called it “a senseless tragedy … with no logical reason for this family to be experiencing this heartbreak right now.”

A GoFundMe page has been set up for Strate’s grandmother, who will be caring for the baby, as well as helping to cover funeral expenses and medical bills.

It has reached more than $27,000 of its $30,000 goal as of Wednesday.

Article content