Girl shot during apparent road rage episode in Merrimac on Sunday afternoon

By Travis Andersen, Globe Staff

A 16-year-old girl from Maine was shot Sunday afternoon while she was traveling in a vehicle with family members on Interstate 495 in Merrimac in an apparent act of road rage, according to State Police.

David Procopio, a State Police spokesman, said in an email that the girl, whom he did not identify, was shot in the upper arm at about 12:15 p.m. and was conscious and alert when rescuers took her to Anna Jaques Hospital in Newburyport.

Her injuries were not believed to be life-threatening, according to Procopio.

He said relatives in her vehicle said they were victims of road rage, though it was not immediately clear what touched off the shooting.

Authorities are seeking a white Honda Accord with tinted windows that fled north on 495, Procopio said.

The suspected gunman was a passenger in that car and described as a light-skinned black or Hispanic male with short hair wearing a gray T-shirt and sunglasses, according to Procopio. The driver was described as a white female who was also wearing sunglasses.

The Accord had a red, white, and blue registration plate, and it was probably a Massachusetts registration based on the color description, Procopio said.

He declined to provide further information on the family members traveling with the girl, citing department protocol. It was not known why she and her relatives were in Massachusetts.

In a statement, State Police asked the public for help in identifying the suspects.

“Traffic at the time of the shooting was heavy and there may be other witnesses to this crime who have not yet been identified,” the statement said.

Procopio said State Police have alerted police departments in Massachusetts and New Hampshire to be on the lookout for the Accord.

Anyone with information is urged to call the State Police barracks in Newbury at 978-462-7478.