‘I was covered in blood': Lakeland woman recovering after shooting on I-4

Yahoo

22-02-2025

LAKELAND, Fla. (WFLA) — Trinity Ramos, 23, of Lakeland, said she remembers everything about being shot at on I-4 but does not know who did it or why.
'There were no thoughts other than surviving,' Ramos said.
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In a split second, she went from excited to get home to her fiance from work to fighting for her life.
'I usually wear a white uniform with khaki pants,' Ramos said. 'It was all red. I was covered in blood.'
Ramos was driving her Orkin work truck westbound on I-4 at around 3:45 Wedneday afternoon near the State Road 559 exit to Polk City and Auburndale when a bullet shattered her driver's side window.
It tore apart the hat she was wearing and grazed her skull.
Ramos was able to pull over safely.
'Tried to flag someone down but no one stopped so I said, 'Ok let's assess the situation'. I looked in the mirror, found where I was bleeding from and it was from my head,' said Ramos.
She said she used a shirt to stop the bleeding and called 911.
Deputies arrived and kept her calm.
'They took care of me. They said 'we're gonna get you outta here. You're not gonna die',' said Ramos. 'I said, ok we got this. We're gonna do this. I'm gonna live and here I am.'
Ramos has 17 staples in her head, scratches on her face and is in a decent amount of pain.
'The bullet did not enter my skull, surprisingly. They said it was a miracle,' said Ramos.
'Fractions of an inch, she would have been dead,' said Sheriff Grady Judd.
Sheriff Judd said his deputies have studied the terrain where Ramos was shot.
'We have no reason to believe based upon the evidence we see that it was someone on the side of the road,' Judd said. 'What we highly suspect was that it was someone eastbound that was involved in a road rage incident or simply fired a firearm.'
Both Sheriff Judd and Ramos said they hope somebody comes forward with information.
'I think whoever did this,' Ramos said. 'I think they should really think about their life decisions and how they could work on themselves to better themselves and take a breath. It's not about the destination. It's about the journey.'
Anybody with information is urged to contact the Polk County Sheriff's Office at 863-298-6200.
If you have any information regarding this crime and wish to remain anonymous, contact Heartland Crime Stoppers in one of four ways:
CALL 1-888-400 TIPS (8477)
DIAL **TIPS from your cell phone
VISIT the website www.heartlandcrimestoppers.com and click on 'Submit A Tip,'
DOWNLOAD the free 'P3tips' app on your smartphone or tablet.
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