Two Killed in Cobb County I-75 Crash Near Hickory Grove Road

[ The Cobb County Courier has a policy of withholding the names of people involved in traffic incidents that are still under investigation]

Two people were killed Friday morning in a multi-vehicle crash on Interstate 75 northbound near Hickory Grove Road after a semi truck drifted from its lane, struck another tractor-trailer and then overturned, Cobb County police said.

The crash happened about 8:34 a.m. Friday north of Hickory Grove Road, near the Cherokee County line, according to the Cobb County Police Department’s Selective Traffic Enforcement Program Unit.

Investigators said a 28-year-old man from Conyers was driving a red 2023 Freightliner Cascadia tractor pulling a 2025 Utility van trailer in the right lane. A 42-year-old man from Norcross was riding as a passenger in the truck.

Police said a 62-year-old man from Fairburn was driving a white 2019 Freightliner Cascadia in the lane next to the red Freightliner, while a 48-year-old man from White County was driving a white 2018 Ram 3500 pulling a flatbed trailer behind the red Freightliner in the right lane.

According to the preliminary investigation, the driver of the red Freightliner failed to maintain his lane and struck the white Freightliner. The red Freightliner then moved back to the right and began rotating clockwise.

Authorities said the Ram then hit the rear of the Utility trailer and was redirected across the northbound lanes of I-75. The red Freightliner continued north while rotating, rolled onto its left side and struck a sound attenuation wall on the right shoulder, investigators said.

The 28-year-old Conyers man driving the red Freightliner and the 42-year-old Norcross man riding in it were pronounced dead at the scene by the Cobb County Medical Examiner, police said. The 62-year-old Fairburn man driving the white Freightliner and the 48-year-old White man driving the Ram were not injured.

The crash remains under investigation. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Cobb County Police Department STEP Unit at 770-499-3987. The case number is 26021218.

The STEP Unit

The STEP Unit, which investigates serious or fatal traffic crashes, is one of the Cobb County Police Department’s Special Operations units, and is described on the web page of the Cobb County Police Department as follows:

The Selective Traffic Enforcement Unit is responsible for investigating all fatal traffic crashes, enforcement of traffic laws in those areas which analysis indicates an elevated amount of crashes. They are also responsible for the administration and execution of the Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program. They also take part in special security details, and investigate crashes involving Department vehicles when requested.

The STEP Unit is commanded by Lieutenant Lane Johnson.