A 17-YEAR-OLD girl was kept on life support in a desperate bid to save her baby after being shot in the head in a road rage attack.
Katelynn Strate tragically died after the shooting on Sunday morning, which took place as she and her boyfriend were driving to his mum’s house in Louisiana.
The couple’s car and another traveling in the same direction began tailgating and brake-checking each other, according to local outlet Nola.com.
The driver of the second car – identified as 54-year-old Barry West, then fired a shot into the Ford Expedition.
Katelynn – who was seven months pregnant – was struck in the head as she sat in the front passenger seat.
She was rushed to hospital and placed on life support as doctors performed an emergency C-section.
The baby – a little girl weighing just three pounds and 11 ounces – is being monitored in the neonatal intensive care unit.
She is said to be in stable condition, authorities said.
Katelynn could not recover from her injuries, her heartbroken family earlier revealed.
The family took her off life support today and preparations are underway for her funeral.
“[Her] mother is devastated,” family friend Katie Cancienne told Nola.com.
“She just lost her baby, and now she’s a grandmother.”
Katie shared a GoFundMe appeal that reads: “We are raising funds in memory of Katelynn Strate, age 17 who tragically lost her life in a road rage incident yesterday morning in Ponchatoula Louisiana while 27 weeks pregnant.
“Her baby survived, and we are now seeking help to cover funeral expenses for Katelynn, medical bills, and the essential baby items needed by her grandmother, who will now be caring for the baby.”
Barry West was jailed in Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office after being hit with four counts of attempted second-degree murder, along with charges of illegal weapon use and obstruction of justice, the sheriff’s office revealed on Monday.
Sheriff Gerald Sticker said: “This is a senseless tragedy… with no logical reason for this family to be experiencing this heartbreak right now.”
It comes as a young woman tragically died after suffering a severe allergic reaction following a CT scan.
Leticia Paul, 22, was undergoing a routine check-up for kidney stones when she reacted to a special dye used in scans.
The law graduate suffered a serious reaction after receiving a contrast agent – a special dye used in CT and MRI scans to make organs and tissues more visible on medical images.
