Boy, 6, shot to death in backseat of car in California road rage incident

A Chevrolet Sonic sits on the shoulder of the northbound 55 freeway north of Chapman Avenue following a shooting of a 6-year-old boy seated in the backseat. Photo / AP

A 6-year-old boy seated in the backseat of his mother's car on a Southern California freeway was shot to death by another driver in a road-rage attack on Friday, authorities said.

The shooting occurred around 8am on State Route 55 in the city of Orange.

"It was an isolated road rage incident between the mum and another driver from a white sedan," California Highway Patrol Officer Florentino Olivera told Los Angeles news station KTLA-TV.

Yellow crime scene tape stretches across the northbound lanes of the 55 freeway as police investigators walk the freeway looking for evidence following a shooting of the 6-year-old. Photo / AP

"Not sure if there were any passengers in that white sedan but apparently there was a shot fired from that sedan into the silver car, and unfortunately, the child that was seated in the right rear seat was struck," he said.

The boy died at a hospital. His name was not immediately released. The freeway was shut down for hours as about a dozen investigators walked the lanes looking for evidence.

The CHP asked for assistance from any drivers who were on that section of freeway between 7.55am and 8.15am, especially if their vehicles have dashboard cameras.

Police investigators walk along the closed northbound lanes of the 55 freeway south of Chapman Avenue looking for evidence following a shooting. Photo / AP