Driver nearly crashes into pregnant woman’s car and shoots at her, MA officials say

A man was accused of shooting at a pregnant woman’s vehicle during a fit of road rage, Massachusetts officials said.

On July 1, a pickup truck driver later identified as Michael Bragel, 33, of Quincy, was driving when he nearly crashed into a woman who was 5-months pregnant and her boyfriend, according to a July 28 news release by the Suffolk County District Attorney.

The woman honked her horn and Bragel got out of his truck, eventually firing a gun at her, before fleeing the area,prosecutors said.

After troopers got footage of the man’s car off the boyfriend’s phone, they were able to identify him and he was eventually arrested, officials said.

“The conduct described here—firing a gun on one of the busiest roads in the state at one of the busiest times of the day—is extraordinarily reckless, endangering both of these victims and every other motorist in the area. I’m thankful that these two victims, despite finding themselves in a terrifying situation, had the composure to obtain video evidence that led directly to this defendant being identified and charged,” district attorney Kevin Hayden said.

Bragel was charged with assault with a dangerous weapon, assault to murder, assault and battery attempt with a firearm, illegal possession of ammunition and carrying a firearm without a license, officials said.

He will reappear in court Aug. 28 and is ordered to stay away from the victims, officials said.

Suffolk County is about a 10-mile drive east from Boston.

This story was originally published July 29, 2025 at 2:22 PM with the headline "Driver nearly crashes into pregnant woman’s car and shoots at her, MA officials say."