Woman shoots self in head while driving on I-35

Traffic backs up on Interstate 35 and the access road near the Binz-Engleman exit, where a woman apparently attempted suicide while driving, police said. After the shooting, the woman's blue Dodge Stratus ran into the interstate's median. less Traffic backs up on Interstate 35 and the access road near the Binz-Engleman exit, where a woman apparently attempted suicide while driving, police said. After the shooting, the woman's blue Dodge Stratus ran ... more Photo: Photos By John Davenport / San Antonio Express-News Photo: Photos By John Davenport / San Antonio Express-News Image 1 of / 6 Caption Close Woman shoots self in head while driving on I-35 1 / 6 Back to Gallery

San Antonio – A 27-year-old woman was taken to San Antonio Military Medical Center in unknown condition after she apparently shot herself in the head while driving on Interstate 35 Monday morning, police said.

Police said the woman, identified in a police report as Teila Ibarra, shot herself just after 8 a.m. Monday.

Her sedan, a blue Dodge Stratus, then ran into the median that separates the north and southbound lanes of I-35.

San Antonio police blocked off two northbound lanes of I-35 near the Binz-Engleman exit because of the shooting.

The incident, plus a separate car crash nearby, caused at least a 20-minute traffic delay on both sides of the highway during rush hour Monday morning. As of 10 a.m., traffic had improved to only a two- to-three-minute delay.

Sgt. Daniel Gonzales said “a young lady driving her car shot herself while driving.”

The woman was armed with a semi-automatic pistol.

A commuter driving behind the woman thought that the impact was an accident and stopped his car to help, police said.

Police said the woman's car was locked from the inside, so officers broke out a window to try to help her.

After being removed from her car, the woman was taken to San Antonio Military Medical Center.

She was still alive while being taken to the hospital, but police officers at the scene did not expect her to survive.

No one answered the door at the address listed for Ibarra later Monday.

Gonzales also said that a note with several people listed on it was found inside the car. As of Monday morning, police were headed out to the locations of the listed people.

Police did not release who was named in the note.

dpalacio@express-news.net

Twitter: davidgpalacio