On the evening of September 4, 2023, a road rage incident on the Appalachian Highway near Davis, West Virginia, escalated into a fatal shooting, claiming the life of 46-year-old Joseph Michael Nelson of Dry Fork. Nelson, a White male, was driving with his son when they encountered a slow-moving green Toyota Tacoma. After a series of confrontational actions on the road, both vehicles stopped. Nelson and his son exited their vehicle, Nelson allegedly holding a pipe and his son a large wrench. It was at this point that the driver of the Tacoma fired a single shot from inside his truck, striking Joseph Nelson in the chest.
The driver of the green Toyota Tacoma fled the scene immediately after the shooting. West Virginia State Police arrived promptly and a sergeant performed CPR on Nelson, but he succumbed to his injuries at the scene. The subsequent investigation, aided by witness descriptions of the suspect's vehicle, quickly led authorities to identify a person of interest.
Tips from the public, prompted by information shared on social media, proved crucial in the early hours of the investigation.
The following day, authorities identified 41-year-old Daniel Lee Sanders of Tunnelton, West Virginia, as the suspect and a warrant for second-degree murder was issued. Investigators tracked Sanders to a camping lot he owned in Seneca Rocks. As a West Virginia State Police Special Response Team prepared to make entry at the residence, Sanders barricaded himself inside. Shortly thereafter, a single gunshot was heard from within the dwelling. Upon entry, law enforcement found Sanders deceased from what was believed to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The investigation concluded that the violent encounter between Nelson and Sanders was a random act of road rage, with no prior connection known between the two men.
