A road rage incident on Highway 17 escalated into a shooting on Friday, May 9, leaving one man injured and another in custody, according to the Stephens County Sheriff’s Office.
The Toccoa Police Department responded at 5:22 p.m. on May 9 to a 911 call of two vehicles involved in a road rage confrontation traveling on Highway 17 Alternate toward Toccoa. As officers were en route, Stephens County 911 began receiving multiple additional reports of two vehicles blocking lanes of traffic near the Farm Bureau on Highway 17, according to police. Witnesses also reported seeing multiple white males and hearing a gunshot.
One of the vehicles in the area belonged to an off-duty deputy with the Stephens County Sheriff’s Office, who was driving with his family when a bullet struck the vehicle. No one inside was injured.
Deputies from the Stephens County Sheriff’s Office, Georgia State Patrol Troopers and Department of Natural Resources rangers responded to the scene.
Around the same time, a separate 911 call came in from a man with a gunshot wound who was parked in a company vehicle at the Highway 17 Diner on Big A Road. Toccoa Police and Stephens County EMS units arrived, and the man was transported to Northeast Georgia Medical Center with a gunshot wound to the right shoulder. Stephens County Crime Suppression Unit processed the scene for evidence.
Back at the scene near the Farm Bureau, authorities say deputies recovered evidence indicating a firearm had been discharged on the roadway. Investigators issued a BOLO (Be On the Lookout) alert for a silver Infiniti with two male occupants believed to be involved in the incident. Further investigation revealed a physical altercation between several individuals had allegedly occurred in the roadway, during which the firearm was discharged. The bullet struck one man and then exited, hitting the off-duty deputy’s vehicle.
While law enforcement followed up on tips from the public about the suspect vehicle, police say a man called 911 and confessed to being the shooter, expressing his intent to surrender. Officers then responded to a residence on Shady Lane, where they arrested 70-year-old Donald Sedivy of Toccoa without incident.
Sedivy’s vehicle, a white Infiniti matching the BOLO description, was located outside the home and towed to the Stephens County Jail for further investigation.
Sedivy is facing multiple charges: four counts of aggravated assault, one count of cruelty to children in the second degree, one count of discharging a firearm near a public highway and one count of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. The shooting victim, who hasn’t been identified, is expected to recover from their injuries.
“I would like to express my gratitude for the collaboration and teamwork that occurred among state and local law enforcement agencies,” Sheriff Rusty Fulbright said. “Together, we form a cohesive team dedicated to working toward a stronger and safer Stephens County.”
The investigation remains ongoing, and officials say additional charges may be filed.
Fulbright urged drivers to remain calm and cautious on the road.
“Please have patience when traveling on the roadway. You don’t know what a person in another vehicle is going through in that moment or how their day went, and engaging in road rage could lead to events like this,” he said. “So please show a little grace if someone pulls out in front of you or cuts you off. If it happens, slow down and let the vehicle pass. Don’t engage in road rage.”
