Hilton Head driver saw gun sticking out of window, heard bang, then his window ‘exploded’

A driver on Hilton Head Island reported that his rear window was shattered on Sunday after he passed a vehicle that had a handgun sticking out of a window, according to a Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office report.

The incident happened in the area of William Hilton Parkway and Beachwood Drive around 4:15 p.m., according to the report.

The victim told a deputy that he was driving west on the parkway with his daughter in the back seat when the pair passed a blue Ford Explorer.

As they passed, the man said he noticed a black handgun sticking out of the rear driver’s side window and that his first instinct was that it was a child’s toy, the report said.

When he passed the Explorer, “he heard a loud bang and his rear tailgate window exploded,” the report said.

The Explorer then sped off and he attempted to follow it while dialing 911.

The man said as he followed the Explorer down Dillon Road, it turned left onto Beach City Road and began to pass vehicles on the wrong side of the road.

He lost sight of the SUV as it went around the Mathews Drive circle toward the parkway.

The man and his daughter were not injured.

Deputies were unable to find any projectiles in the victim’s vehicle, but did observe a small impact point on a piece of broken glass that was consistent with a small pellet striking it, the report said.

Investigators also found broken glass in the middle of William Hilton Parkway between Beachwood Drive and Folly Field Road.

They were unable to find the suspect’s vehicle.

This story was originally published November 8, 2017 at 1:57 PM with the headline "Hilton Head driver saw gun sticking out of window, heard bang, then his window ‘exploded’."