PONCHATOULA, La. — A pregnant teenager is in critical condition after being shot in the head during a road rage incident Sunday morning in Tangipahoa Parish. Authorities say doctors performed an emergency C-section to deliver her baby, who is now stable in a neonatal intensive care unit.

The Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office reported that Barry West, 54, of Tickfaw, was arrested and booked into the parish jail on four counts of attempted second-degree murder, one count of illegal use of a weapon, and obstruction of justice.

Deputies said the shooting occurred around 9 a.m. on North Hoover Road near Ponchatoula. Investigators believe West and another vehicle, a Ford Expedition carrying the 17-year-old victim and two others, had been tailgating and brake-checking one another. West then fired a shot into the SUV, striking the teen—who was seven months pregnant—while she sat in the front passenger seat.

The driver rushed the injured teen to a hospital, where doctors immediately performed surgery to save her baby. While the infant’s condition is stable, the young mother remains hospitalized in critical condition.

West told deputies he believed the people in the Expedition had fired at him first, but investigators said no other shots were fired and no weapon was found in the SUV. Authorities added that charges against West could be upgraded depending on the victim’s condition.

“This is a senseless tragedy … with no logical reason for this family to be experiencing this heartbreak right now,” Sheriff Gerald Sticker said. “The public has to be patient and considerate when driving, at all times, and if there is a concern for your safety, call 911 and report the concern.”

The case remains under active investigation.