ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The murder trial for the person accused of shooting into a BMW and causing one man's death during a road rage incident is now underway.
Back on March 27, 2019, William John Shutt, 34, shot into a black BMW in the area of 17th Avenue Northeast and Bay Street Northeast, St. Petersburg police said at the time.
The BMW then crashed into a tree in the area around 1st Street Northeast near 20th Avenue Northeast.
As a result of the shooting and crash, Quentin Hicks later died from his injuries, according to police. Another man who was in the BMW was hospitalized.
Jail records show Shutt is charged with first-degree murder and attempted murder.
Police said the 34-year-old didn't know the men before shooting into the car and that a traffic dispute led to the shooting.
He was arrested April 4, 2019, after police say he went inside his girlfriend's house without permission and has been in the Pinellas County Jail since then as he awaited trial, jail records show.
According to the Tampa Bay Times, the murder trial began Tuesday, April 5, more than three years following his arrest.
Court documents showed Shutt was cited with careless driving after causing a crash just five days prior to the shooting. A year before, back in 2018, he was cited for reckless driving for "cutting in front, speed, and failure to obey," the documents read.
