JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- A trucker who was shot before dawn Monday while driving on the Westside, then crashed the cab of a big rig into the tree in a yard, is recovering at Shands-Jacksonville Medical Center.

A witness told Channel 4 she heard the truck pass through the area at least once, then heard gunshots before the cab crashed in the front yard of a home on Leiland Street about 3 a.m.

"I looked out the window and 'cause I could see these bright lights," said Janie Richardson "The truck had run into the tree, so I called 911."

Arriving rescue personnel found 51-year-old Dixie Lee McDaniel still behind the wheel, suffering from a gunshot wound to the neck.

Investigators said McDaniel is from Wewahitchka, Fla., and was working for a company based out of Mississippi.

Witnesses told police they heard five gunshots in rapid succession before the truck crash.

According to police reports, neighbors in the area told officers they heard the truck circle the block several times before the shooting happened.

"I was up … and I heard this truck circle the truck and with it being early in the morning, like 3 a.m., you can hear every car that passes by," Richardson said.

Detectives continue to investigate why McDaniel was in the Westside neighborhood and who pulled the trigger.

Monday afternoon, McDaniel was in fair condition. He is expected to recover.

Police ask anyone with any information about the incident to call Crimestoppers at 866-845-TIPS.