Officer Chuck McPhilamy of the Marietta Police Department confirmed the identity of the victim of the fatal crash on I-75 near Delk Road that occurred Wednesday:

“I can now confirm that forty-two-year-old Christopher Uptain of Atlanta was the driver of the 2019 GMC Terrain,” he wrote in an email to the media.

McPhilamy wrote that despite some media reports, “I can confirm officially that this was NOT a chase by any agency.  It was simply a tragic two vehicle crash that ended with one fatality.”

The Courier reached out to the Georgia State Patrol to find out what involvement they had before Marietta’s STEP Unit took over the investigation.

Franka Young, the state patrol’s public information officer wrote to us in an email, “A GSP trooper was first on scene, upon his arrival one of the vehicles was on fire. The trooper removed the driver from the vehicle and performed CPR on the driver until medical personnel arrived on scene. “

Original story reprinted below

According to a public information release from Officer Chuck McPhilamy of the Marietta Police Department, the Selective Traffic Enforcement Program (STEP Unit) is investigating a fatal crash on I-75 southbound.

The accident occurred this afternoon north of the Delk Road interchange.

The public information release describes the accident as follows:

The on-scene investigation revealed that a 2019 GMC Terrain was traveling southbound and collided with a 2019 Mercedes Sprinter van driven by 28 year-old Andres Galan-Marquez of Sandy Springs.  As a result of the crash, the 2019 GMC Terrain left the roadway impacting a concrete bridge pillar. The male driver of the GMC was transported to WellStar Kennestone Hospital where he was pronounced deceased.  His name is being withheld, pending the notification of next of kin.

The crash remains under investigation and anyone with information is urged to contact STEP Investigator St. Onge at (770) 794-5352.