A motorist killed Tuesday when the minivan he was driving ran off the road and plowed into a building in southeast Atlanta might have died of a heart attack or other medical condition, police said.

According to Atlanta police dispatchers, the incident happened on McDonough Boulevard near Hank Aaron Drive.

The van struck a building that houses a recycling company.

The 61-year-old driver was not breathing or responding when rescue personnel arrived, and was pronounced dead just before 8 a.m., according to dispatchers.

"It seems as though the person may have died as a result of a heart attack or something else, not the accident," police spokeswoman Kim Jones told the AJC.

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Managing Partner at Atlantica Properties, Darion Dunn (center) talks with Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens during a tour following the ribbon cutting of Waterworks Village as part of the third phase of the city’s Rapid Housing Initiative on Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2025.
(Miguel Martinez/AJC)

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez