ACWORTH, GEORGIA — Two men died Friday morning after a Papa John’s tractor-trailer failed to maintain its lane on northbound Interstate 75, triggering a chain-reaction crash involving a second semi-truck and a pickup truck before the Papa John’s truck overturned and slammed through a sound wall.
The Cobb County Police Department STEP Unit responded at approximately 8:34 a.m. on April 3, 2026, to the crash near Hickory Grove Road and Wade Green Road in Acworth. A red 2023 Freightliner Cascadia hauling a Papa John’s trailer, driven by Zory Beavers, 28, of Conyers, drifted out of its lane and struck another Freightliner traveling in the adjacent lane. The impact caused Beavers’ truck to yaw and roll onto its left side before slamming into a sound attenuation wall on the right shoulder. During the sequence, a 2018 Ram 3500 pulling a flatbed trailer struck the rear of Beavers’ trailer and was pushed across multiple lanes of traffic.
Beavers and his passenger, Royan Osborne, 42, of Norcross, were both pronounced dead at the scene by the Cobb County Medical Examiner. The two other drivers involved — ages 62 and 48 — were not injured.
Investigators identified the preliminary cause as failure to maintain lane. However, what caused the driver to drift has not been determined. Investigators have not ruled out weather conditions or mechanical failure as contributing factors. The investigation remains ongoing.
Papa John’s released a statement following the crash. “We are actively cooperating with local authorities as they work to determine the circumstances of the incident and assess any impact. Our thoughts are with all those who may be affected, and we will continue to support the investigation as it moves forward,” the company said.
Anyone with information about the crash is asked to contact the Cobb County Police Department at 770-499-3987.
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