Trial Underway in Catoosa County Road Rage Case

RINGGOLD, Ga. (WDEF) – A man at the center of a deadly Catoosa County road rage incident in September 20-21 was in court today.

On September 6, 2021, a fateful encounter on Battlefield Parkway led to a fatal shooting.

Daniel Vaughn is charged with two counts of murder among other charges in the death of Jack Pedigo.

Cameras were not allowed in the courtroom at the Catoosa County Courthouse for the first day of Vaughn’s murder trial.

Two witnesses were called to the stand, a Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) medical examiner and a former Catoosa County Sheriff’s Deputy.

The Deputy testified to his encounters with Vaughn that evening as he responded to his home twice that evening about an hour apart.

Two body cam videos were shown of these encounters, as Vaughn called police to his home both times per 9-1-1 calls played.

In the first encounter, Vaughn says his wife and him were returning home from dinner when a car driven by Pedigo cut him off.

Vaughn goes on to tell the deputy that after honking his horn, Pedigo begins to brake check him, starts throwing objects at him, and eventually follows him home.

A video taken by Pedigo showed that during a short argument between the two men, Vaughn fired a shot into the air, and Pedigo tells him that he’s going to come back.

An hour later, Pedigo returned back to Elm Avenue where Vaughn says the final confrontation occurred.

He alleges that Pedigo went up Elm Avenue, came back to the house, starting arguing with Vaughn, and Vaughn argued to that Sheriff in that body cam video that he felt threatened for him and his wife’s safety, and opened fire on Pedigo.

A Nest camera on a neighboring home recorded multiple gunshots within the span of ten seconds.

The GBI medical examiner who conducted Pedigo’s autopsy said he suffered seven different wounds, with wounds to the head and abdomen likely being the cause of death.

Initially after the incident, Vaughn was not charged with murder in this case, as the Catoosa County Sheriff’s Office had said they in short said it was a tragic event resulting from an emotional confrontation.

However, Vaughn has since been indicted by a grand jury for murder after evidence has shown Pedigo had not left his car at the time of the shooting.

Georgia is a stand your ground state, meaning someone can use deadly force if they believe their or someone else’s life is in danger.

The main determination this case will be determining if Vaughn had the right to use that deadly force.

The case is ongoing.