Pedestrian hit, killed by HERO vehicle on Downtown Connector, officials say
A Georgia Department of Transportation HERO vehicle hit and killed a pedestrian on the Downtown Connector late Thursday night, state officials said.
Georgia State Patrol troopers were called to the crash on I-75/85 South near Martin Luther King Jr. Drive at 11:10 p.m., agency spokesman Lt. Michael Burns said. The HERO truck had hit a pedestrian who was standing in the road.
The victim, who was identified as 51-year-old Joseph McFarland Jr., was pronounced dead at the scene, Burns said. The HERO unit stopped after the crash and the driver cooperated with troopers.
An acronym for Highway Emergency Response Operator, HERO units respond to traffic incidents around metro Atlanta with the goal of restoring normal traffic flow. They keep road surfaces clear and often help motorists with issues like flat tires, dead batteries, overheating engines or cars that simply ran out of gas.
No further details have been released about the fatal collision, and the crash report has not been completed, Burns said.
About the Author
Henri Hollis is a restaurant critic and food reporter for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, where he covers Atlanta’s restaurants, chefs and dining culture. As part of the AJC’s Food & Dining team, he reviews new restaurants, reports on industry trends and explores metro Atlanta’s culinary scene through the neighborhoods and people that shape it.
