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'Makes Me Feel Blessed': Man Shot While Driving

By Stan Bush

DENVER (CBS4)- Denver police are investigating what appears to be a random shooting into traffic on Interstate 25 when a man was struck by a bullet while driving.

The incident happened at 9:30 p.m. Jan. 5 in the southbound lanes of I-25 near 8th Avenue. Aurora resident Jessie Burtt was shot by a single bullet that went through his driver's side door and hit his knee. Burtt called 9-1-1 and drove himself to Denver Health Medical Center.

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(credit: CBS)

"All the sudden I just heard a boom," says Burtt. "I thought someone ran into me but there was no accident and I felt something in my leg."

Burtt says he kept driving, worried that there might be a second shot. A detective told Burtt he was likely shot by a high powered handgun, though ballistics testing can't be completed until the bullet is extricated.

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Jessie Burtt (credit: CBS)

Doctors could not immediately remove the bullet because of its location near the bone. Burtt will see a specialist about bullet removal.

Burtt believes the shot came from the opposite side of the highway, passing six lanes of traffic before hitting him in the slow lane.

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(credit: CBS)

"Had it hit me anywhere else my son and I could be dead," says Burtt. "I'm driving 60 mph. Neck or head, any other shot that makes you swerve and hit your vehicle could cause an accident and hurt more people."

There were no other reports of shots being fired in the area of the incident, a largely industrial area of I-25 and 8th Ave. Police have not said if the incident is connected to reports of bullets hitting cars on I-25 in Northern Colorado last year. Police have no suspect information at this time.

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(credit: CBS)

Burtt says, despite being shot, he feels lucky the incident happened to him and no one else, "It makes me feel blessed. I mean I got shot with a high caliber bullet and I walked in and out and I'm still able to walk."

Stan Bush is a general assignment reporter at CBS4. His stories can be seen on CBS4 News at 10. Read his bio and follow him on Twitter @StanBushTV.

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