An 8-year-old boy was killed Wednesday evening when part of a tractor-trailer flew across I-20 and crashed through the windshield of an SUV near downtown Atlanta, the Georgia State Patrol said.
The driver of a tractor-trailer, David Washington, was eastbound near Martin Luther King Jr. Drive when parts of the truck's transmission came off and went over the median, striking a Chevrolet Blazer traveling westbound, according Gordy Wright with GSP.
The debris went through the windshield, struck the driver on the arm, and then struck and killed her son, Cameron Mcilwain, 8, of Decatur, Wright said. Cameron was in the backseat. GSP had initially reported that Cameron was a girl.
The driver, Jameka Nicole Malone, 29, also of Decatur, was able to bring her vehicle to a stop near the median wall. Malone was transported to Grady Memorial Hospital, where her arm was amputated below the elbow, Wright said.
French's other child in the back seat, 19-month-old Kanary Malone, was treated for minor cuts from glass, Wright said.
Washington, 52, of Atlanta, was driving for CW Transport at the time of the incident, according to the GSP.
Any charges against Washington will be filed upon completion of the investigation, the GSP said.
I-20 was closed in both directions for about three hours at the accident scene Wednesday evening. Westbound lanes re-opened shortly before 10 p.m.
Three other vehicles struck debris in the roadway westbound, but no injuries were reported in those incidents, Wright said.
The trucking company released a statement via email to the AJC on Thursday.
"CW Transport is actively investigating the cause of this unfortunate incident," the statement read. "Our deepest sympathies go out to all of those that are affected and their families."
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