UPDATE 5:00 P.M.

JACKSON, Mich. (WLNS) — Bystanders are known to help in all sorts of ways when there’s a car crash.

But in a crash that happened in Jackson, a man thought firing a gun at one of the vehicles would somehow help the emergency.

Around 10 a.m. Monday, the Jackson Police Department says a man driving a Ford van on U.S. 127 suffered an unspecified medical emergency.

When the highway turned into West Avenue, police say he went through a red light and slammed into a Kia sedan.

But when his van kept going, a bystander with a handgun intervened by shooting at the van and hitting one of its tires.

The van went off the road and hit a small tree in front of Flagstar Bank.

Police arrived on scene and found the shooter with a valid concealed pistol license.

Officers say the man told them he was only trying to help deescalate the situation.

The shooter was not arrested but police say the prosecutor’s office is reviewing the case for possible charges.

Police believe the van would have eventually gone off the road even if it wasn’t shot at.

The Jackson Police Department says when you see an emergency happen it’s best to call 911 and let trained officers handle it.

They also say it’s never a good idea to put yourself or others in danger by shooting into a busy road.

The man behind the wheel wasn’t hit by gunfire, but he was taken to the hospital to be treated for his medical episode.

Right now it’s too early to tell when a charging decision will be made.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

PREVIOUS STORY:

JACKSON, Mich (WLNS) – Jackson Police are investigating a strange incident that took place on West Avenue in the city just after 10 a.m. today.

Police there tell 6 News Jackson bureau reporter Aaron Dimick that a man driving a Ford van apparently suffered a medical incident while driving south on West Ave.

He drove through a red light, struck another vehicle and continued down the road.

That’s when things took a strange turn.

Police say a man pulled out a handgun and shot the tires of the runaway van.

The van went off the road and came to rest against some small trees in front of Flagstar Bank at West and Sparks.

The man who shot the tires out showed police his Concealed Carry Permit and cooperated with officers.

That may not be the end of the story.

The Jackson County Prosecutor is looking into what happened and will consider if there could be any reckless discharge of a firearm charges against the man.

No one was injured in all that action and the van driver was taken to Allegiance to treat his medical condition.