Moment British travel influencer is shot in the foot by gunmen who tried to stop his vehicle during Ethiopia road trip

Published: 16:33, 10 August 2026 | Updated: 16:45, 10 August 2026 This is the moment a British travel influencer is shot by gunmen who tried to stop his vehicle during a terrifying road trip through Ethiopia. Charles Wright was travelling alone through the African country when armed militia attempted to stop his car before opening fire on him. Not realising he had a bullet in his heel, Mr Wright continued his trip, believing the pain in his foot had come from a football injury.  Incredibly, just days later, Mr Wright, from Buxton, Derbyshire, was targeted again after missing a mandatory customs turn-off, he says. The 40-year-old claimed armed police opened fire on him, leaving two bullet holes in his car. After being treated in hospital and being kept by an armed guard for seven days, he finally managed to leave Ethiopia.  Video footage showed both times Mr Wright was targeted while driving through the African country.  Charles Wright, 40, was forced to duck his head after he came under fire while driving through Ethiopia Armed police on the roadside as Mr Wright unknowingly missed a mandatory customs turn-off The first incident took place  when Mr Wright was driving through the active conflict zone near Kobo, on the Tigray-Amhara state border. He said two civilian-dressed men attempted to stop his tiny Toyota Yaris. He initially slowed down but claimed he spotted one of the men preparing an AK-47 and quickly accelerated away. Mr Wright said two shots were then fired at his car, with one bullet hitting the road before ricocheting underneath the vehicle. It then became lodged in the heel of his right foot, which was on the accelerator at the time. However, the influencer didn't realise he had been shot. He had fractured the same foot playing football earlier that day and assumed the pain was connected to that injury. Instead, he carried on driving, eventually covering around 500km over roughly 24 hours with the bullet still embedded in his foot. The terrifying incident happened during Mr Wright's latest overland adventure through Ethiopia, where he spent 32 days travelling in his one-litre Toyota Yaris, nicknamed Dynamo. But the bullet in his foot was not the last of his problems. The influencer then shared another video which appeared to show him being shot at for a second time. He claimed armed federal police opened fire on him after he missed a mandatory customs turn-off. The road was not signposted and Mr Wright said he followed Google Maps, continuing along the same carriageway. He said two federal police officers suddenly emerged from bushes before a large plastic water container was thrown towards his car. The officers then allegedly opened fire at his tyres, with Charles estimating that four or five shots were fired. Video footage from Mr Wright showed bullet holes in one of his tyres. Having already been targeted earlier in his journey, Charles said his instinct was to keep driving rather than stop. He managed to travel another four kilometres with a destroyed front tyre before becoming stranded in the desert. He was tracked down by more officers after locals reported seeing a Westerner in the area.  Mr Wright pictured in crutches following his recovery at a hospital in Awash  He claimed the officers took his phone and made him walk through the desert, despite his fractured foot and gunshot wound. He said officers laughed as he struggled. When he managed to make it back to his car, Mr Wright discovered his penknife and possibly some cutlery were missing. With the car disabled, he was unable to continue to Addis Ababa for treatment and instead had the bullet removed at Dawa Haya Hospital in Awash. Charles praised medical staff for successfully removing it without him developing an infection. However, the two-hour-long operation turned into a terrifying ordeal when a power cut led to the hospital being plunged into darkness.  With no emergency lighting or immediate generator backup, staff worked with mobile phone flashlights for around 10 minutes.  He said: 'As the patient lying there awake, watching phones and door handles being touched during surgery was terrifying because my immediate concern was infection and potentially losing my foot.' As he recovered, Mr Wright claimed he was kept at a hotel for around six days with an armed officer stationed outside. He said he was never given a clear explanation for why he was being held or when he would be allowed to leave. Eventually, people he knew within the tourism industry helped apply pressure and he was released. He said it was not his only detention during his time in Ethiopia, saying he was jailed three times during his 32-day stay. Crossing the border out of the country was one of the biggest moments of relief of his life. He said: 'There were several moments during Ethiopia when I genuinely wondered whether I would make it out.' An X-ray showed the bullet lodged inside Mr Wright's foot following the shooting The influencer has been travelling on and off for around 15 years and has driven approximately 48,000km through more than 34 countries.  He said his experience in Ethiopia was different to anywhere else he has visited on the continent. He stressed that it was his personal experience and said he also met several Ethiopians who went out of their way to help him. He stopped short of telling people not to visit the country but urged anyone considering a trip to research the risks carefully. Mr Wright advised travellers to be particularly cautious around checkpoints, police encounters, prices, theft and visa issues. He now plans to take several months off to recover and repair Dynamo before continuing his adventures, although he no longer intends to travel further north through Africa.