CRISP COUNTY, GEORGIA — A Georgia man died after being struck by a tractor-trailer on Interstate 75 following an earlier crash involving two passenger vehicles, according to the Crisp County Sheriff’s Office.
The incident happened at approximately 5:30 a.m. on Aug. 22 on I-75 near mile marker 94.
The man killed was later identified by Crisp County Coroner Richard Wright as 31-year-old Brandon Hand.
Initial Crash Involved Two Passenger Vehicles
According to the sheriff’s office, the first crash involved two passenger vehicles traveling south on I-75.
Investigators said one passenger vehicle rear-ended another vehicle, causing one of the cars to veer off the roadway and strike a fence and a tree.
A fire then started under the hood of that vehicle.
The sheriff’s office said the driver of the other passenger vehicle saw the Hyundai driver get out of the burning vehicle and run northbound along the roadway.
Both drivers were in contact with 911 by phone after the crash.
Driver Later Found About 50 Yards Away
When first responders arrived, the Hyundai driver could not be located.
Deputies, firefighters, EMS personnel, and other emergency crews began searching the area while also investigating the crash and extinguishing the vehicle fire.
During the search, a tractor-trailer stopped in the area. The semi driver told deputies he believed he may have struck debris in the roadway.
Deputies obtained the truck driver’s information and began gathering additional details about the tractor-trailer.
Sheriff’s Office Says Man Was Struck in Right Lane
Investigators later found Hand approximately 50 yards from the original crash scene.
He was treated at the scene by EMS and Fire Rescue personnel before being transported to Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital in Albany, where he later died.
According to the sheriff’s office, investigators determined that after the first crash, Hand exited his vehicle and told the other driver he was looking for items in his car.
The sheriff’s office said he then came onto the roadway and stood in the right-hand lane, where he was struck by a tractor-trailer.
Investigation Treated as Two Separate Crashes
The Crisp County Sheriff’s Office said the incident is being investigated as two separate crashes: the initial crash involving the two passenger vehicles and the later crash involving the tractor-trailer striking the driver.
The sheriff’s office also thanked the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office in Florida for helping examine the tractor-trailer and obtain additional information for investigators.
Deputies, firefighters, EMS personnel, dispatchers, and other first responders were also thanked for their work at the scene.
“The event is a tragic situation that resulted in the loss of a life,” the sheriff’s office said.
The investigation remains ongoing.
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