An asphalt worker was hit and killed on the side of Tara Boulevard early Tuesday morning, police said.
The investigation into the deadly incident shut down the busy highway between McDonough and Lovejoy for several hours during the morning commute.
Lovejoy police Chief Michael Gaddis said the worker was with a repaving crew near the intersection of Tara Boulevard and McDonough Road and was hit by a red Dodge Ram around 3:45 a.m. The driver of the pickup stayed on scene, he said.
Charges have not been determined.
“Right now we're in the early phases of the investigation,” Gaddis said.
The worker, identified by the Georgia State Patrol as 28-year-old Justin Bagley of Roanoke, Ala., was working with Wall Asphalt Services. The company, which is based in Carrollton, has never had any accidents, the owner told AJC.com.
According to the GSP, two of four northbound lanes of Tara Boulevard were shut down with paving work overnight, and a Clayton County police officer was helping with traffic. The driver of the pickup reportedly changed lanes as he passed the emergency vehicles, striking Bagley. He died at the scene.
The work crew’s utility trucks and the police cruiser had their emergency lights on at the time, the GSP said.
All northbound lanes were blocked at McDonough Road during the investigation and were reopened by 10 a.m., according to the WSB 24-hour Traffic Center. During the shutdown, traffic was being diverted off Tara Boulevard and routed onto the access road in front of a Walmart to McDonough Road.
— Please return to AJC.com for updates.
In other news:
