Derick Godwin, 55, was fatally shot while driving on U.S. Highway 64 West near the Lizard Lick Road area of Wake County, close to Wendell, North Carolina, on the morning of Thursday, November 20, 2025. Deputies found him in his vehicle about 8:05 a.m.; he was rushed to a local hospital on life support but later died of his wounds. Family members said doctors would remove him from life support so his organs could be donated and described funeral and other expenses they faced.

Investigators shut down Highway 64 for several hours to process the scene, document bullet impacts, and reconstruct what happened. Authorities said they believed the shooting was an isolated incident and were examining whether road rage played a role. Wake County deputies identified a suspect and, with assistance from the Wilson County Sheriff’s Office, arrested 24-year-old Ruben Joseph Santiago of Wilson County and charged him with murder. Family and community members described Godwin as hardworking and compassionate and called the killing senseless; his sister Faith Dullaghan said she hopes to channel grief into advocacy against road-rage violence.

If anyone was driving on U.S. 64 near Lizard Lick on the morning of November 20 and saw anything unusual, can you share what you noticed?