SANTA CLARA — A 17-year-old San Jose boy is in the hospital fighting for his life after he was shot while driving in a residential neighborhood Wednesday night, according to Santa Clara police.

The shooting was detected by a Santa Clara patrol officer around 10:44 p.m. who headed to Brookdale and Bing drives, just north of Homestead Road and east of Lawrence Expressway, to investigate what they thought were illegal fireworks exploding, police said.

But the officer made a much more grisly discovery: A vehicle that had crashed into a parked car, occupied by a lone teen boy suffering from a gunshot wound.

He was rushed to the hospital, where police described him as being in grave condition.

Reading this on your phone? Stay up to date with our free mobile app. Get it from the Apple app store or the Google Play store.

Lt. Dan Moreno said an initial investigation indicates that the boy was shot by someone on the street.

No suspect has been located, and no other injuries have been reported in connection to the gunfire. Moreno added that the violence is unusual for the neighborhood.

Anyone with information about the shooting can contact Detective Sgt. Saskia Lagergren at 408-615-4823.