A 68-year-old Gainesville man was killed Monday when a tow truck struck him on the side of I-985, according to the Georgia State Patrol.

That driver, 53-year-old Pavel Nemes of Danielsville, faces second-degree homicide and failure to maintain lane charges.

Kenneth Roper parked on the interstate shoulder and got out to secure cargo in his truck about 11 a.m., according to the incident report.

Nemes drove off the right side of the roadway and hit Roper’s Chevrolet pickup truck from behind, the report states. The tow truck continued another 30 or 40 feet and struck a tree.

Nemes was not hurt in the crash, according to the GSP.

In other news:

Gwinnett County police said Trontavious D. Tate, of Stone Mountain, pointed a gun at a Pizza Hut worker after he complained about a recent order.

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Ceudy Gutierrez reads a book to her 2-year-old son, Matias, at their home in Buford, GA, on Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025. Ceudy Gutierrez is struggling to make ends meet for herself and her three young kids following her husband’s ICE arrest earlier this fall. (Miguel Martinez/ AJC)

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez