German tourist shot in head while driving family west of Calgary

READ THE LATEST ON THIS STORY |Surgery successful for German tourist shot in head on Highway 1A

Police are investigating an apparent shooting on an Alberta highway that sent a German man to hospital with a head injury as a possible case of road rage.

The 60-year-old tourist, who was driving a Dodge Durango with his wife, son and son's girlfriend, was sent to hospital with a bullet wound to the head following a single-vehicle crash on Highway 1A near Morley, Alta., about 55 kilometres west of Calgary.

Police were called about thecrash just before noon, said Sgt. Tom Kalisof the RCMP.

"It travelled a considerable distance off the highway and struck a tree," he told CBC News. "The driver presented with a gunshot wound to the head."

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Police found a bullet hole in the driver's side window, saidKalis.

"The driver has a serious, penetrating wound to the skull."

The man was flown to hospital in Calgary by STARS air ambulanceand was set to undergo surgery on Thursday afternoon.

Police are investigating road rage as a possible motive, saidKalis.

"There was a small black car that was being driven by a white malearound the DodgeDurangoat the time the gunshot would haveoccurred," he said.

"So we're seeking the public's help to establish whether that [theory] is correct."

Kalissaid the man driving the black car may have had long, dark hair.

The family was travelling to Banff National Parkat the time, saidKalisand police are hoping witnesses will come forward. Highway 1A is atwo-lane road which leads to the foothills of the Rocky Mountains.

"It's quite a scenic route," he said. "This is not a high pedestrian traffic area but there are motorists who may have seen something around that time, immediately before or after the incident.

"I don't want to alarm the public, this appears to be a singular incidentand fortunately in Canada, a veryuncommon incident."

Officers, including members of the police dog service, will be in the area investigating, along with a collision analyst.

Anyone who may have witnessed the incident is asked to callCochraneRCMPat 1-403-851-8000 orCrime Stoppersat 1-800-222-8477.

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