A 26-year-old male pedestrian, on his way from Austin, TX to Charlotte, NC, was struck and killed by a tractor-trailer truck on I-85 southbound in Gwinnett County. The incident occurred near the Lawrenceville-Suwanee Road exit at around 3 a.m.
Initially, the police were unable to determine the identity of the victim because he wasn’t carrying any ID. Police published pictures of tattoos found on the victim’s body, which were broadcast by several media outlets. One of the tattoos depicted the rock band, the Grateful Dead. The tattoos were seen on the news by family members in Charlotte, NC, resulting in the victim being positively identified.
The father of the victim said his son attended the Graduate School of Integrative Medicine in Austin, Texas and was driving home for Thanksgiving. It is believed the victim ran out of gas and was on foot trying to find a gas station.
Gwinnett County’s investigation is ongoing as it is still unclear exactly how the victim was struck and killed.