18-year-old volunteer firefighter shot in road rage incident in Cañon City

CAÑON CITY, Colo. (KRDO) - Cañon City Police are actively searching for a driver who is tied to an apparent road rage incident. Early Friday, Feb. 28, Cañon City Police say two drivers were headed eastbound on Highway 50, both driving somewhat aggressively.

Cañon City police confirmed to KRDO13 that at least one round was fired by the suspect. The department says the bullet went through the car and struck one passenger. That passenger is 18-year-old Matthew Johnston. He's a volunteer firefighter and is now recovering from his gunshot wound. Just released from the hospital on Monday, Matthew Johnston sat down with KRDO13 to share his story.

"We didn't roll down the windows and say anything. We just kept driving and, you know, he just kept matching our speed. And a couple of minutes later, he had pulled out his gun in his car, and he shot us, shot at us twice. One thankfully missed. And then the other one came through, the lower side of this door, and hit me straight in the leg," pointed Matthew Johnston.

He says his foot went numb in the moment and he wasn't quite sure what had happened.

"In the moment of shock, I kind of thought that he had sideswiped us with his car and that, like, my foot had hit or something and, like, snapped or something like, I didn't really know what happened. And, I was like, what's going on? And I usually carry a little light on my head. And so I turned it on and looked down, and I just see the blood gushing out of my shoe, and I'm like, oh, he just shot me," Johnston recounted.

He says his friend driving the car snapped into action, pulling off the road to the closest gas station.

"I was definitely freaking out a little bit, but me freaking out wouldn't have helped the situation. So I tried to compose as much as I could. I was definitely a little scared for him because getting shot is never a good thing," said Dayton Smith, Johnston's friend, the driver, and fellow volunteer firefighter.

Smith said that at that moment all he could think about was getting the occupants in his car to safety.

"I hit the gas and kept going down that road and kept making sure I knew where that vehicle was. Just in case anything else happened. We rolled up on a gas station. I went in the parking lot. It was the only place around with the best lighting. So I can see what I'm dealing with," explained Smith.

He said he was grateful for his EMS training that allowed him to render immediate aid to his friend until other first responders could arrive at the scene. Smith says he used his belt as a tourniquet and gathered other supplies from his first aid kit. When those weren't enough, he ran into the gas station to get their first aid kit.

"We actually found out in the hospital later that it did nick an artery, so it could have been more severe if first aid wasn't administered as soon as it was," shared Smith.

RELATED REPORTING: Man shot after apparent road rage incident in Cañon City

Now the bullet has left Johnston on crutches, waiting to get back to fighting fires with his colleagues with Florrisant Fire Rescue.

Friends of the road rage shooting victim are fundraising for his medical expenses and recovery efforts. If you'd like to support, you can do so here.

The suspect is described by Cañon City Police as a white male between the ages of 60 and 65 with blonde or gray facial hair. He was driving a beige sedan.