In the early morning hours of March 28, 2022, a dispute between coworkers returning to Philadelphia after a job in Georgia turned deadly on Interstate 85 in Jackson County. Samuel Sanders, a 71-year-old man, was fatally shot while in a panel van that was towing a U-Haul trailer. The incident occurred around 3 a.m. near mile marker 144, just north of Commerce.
Traveling with Sanders was his 22-year-old grandson and a 67-year-old coworker, Donald Carter.
An argument broke out between Sanders and Carter, which tragically escalated to gunfire. After Sanders was shot, his grandson, who was also in the vehicle, called 911 for help. When Jackson County deputies arrived at the scene, they found the van stopped on the shoulder of the interstate. Sanders was discovered unresponsive in the driver's seat with a gunshot wound. He was rushed to Northeast Georgia Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
Following the shooting, Donald Carter fled the scene, prompting a massive manhunt that shut down I-85 for hours. Law enforcement, including K9 units, searched the area for the suspect. Nearly six hours later, Carter was found hiding in a building on a nearby farm. The owner of the farm discovered him and alerted authorities. Carter was taken into custody without resistance and was reportedly sitting on a handgun when he was found.
Donald Carter, also from Philadelphia, was arrested and charged with murder and aggravated assault in connection with the death of Samuel Sanders. He was subsequently booked into the Jackson County jail. The motive for the argument that led to the fatal shooting was not immediately made clear by authorities.
