South Georgia Shootings

[Pathfinder]

My only story about Valdosta -

Twenty years ago my brother, his wife, my wife and son (about 2 at the time) pulled an all-night drive from Chicago to Bloomington, IL where he lived, and then on to Hudson FL to spend Christmas with my Dad. Last time too - were were still young and stupid but way too old to be pulling all night drives. Due to a snowstorm that hit just as we approached Bloomington, we waited until morning to leave.

I was driving about 2AM, and was getting tired, so i woke my brother and we looked for a place to swap drivers. I saw bright lights off the next exit, and pulled off and into a restaurant parking light. The restaurant was closed for the night, but the thing that unnerved me was the old beater car with its front door and trunk lid open right smack in front of the restaurant. No one in sight, just the car.

So I swung the car around and foolishly parked under one of the parking lot lights. We were all out (except the kid - he was asleep - and stretching our legs when I noticed headlights to the west - not moving. I pointed them out to my brother, who shrugged it off.

At that point a rather unkempt guy - wild very long hair, right out of Lynard Skynard but shabbily dressed - ambled slowly out from behind the restaurant. I don't know who was more startled - him or me. I must say, tho, he jumped when he saw us, and ran to the car, slammed his trunk lid down, hopped in and roared out of the lot like a scalded cat. As I am trying to get everyone back into the 2-door car, I see the headlights down the road take off after him eastbound - toward us! They passed us by at high speed.

Just as I am about to get in, I see the other headlights. This third car was obscured by the trees along the road right in front of the restaurant, but I did not see him until he pulled a U-turn and took off after the other 2 cars.

I think my brother was doing about 80 when we hit the end of the entrance ramp back onto I-75.