A 30-year-old man was killed early Friday when the pickup truck he was driving slammed into the back of a tractor-trailer that had broken down in the middle of I-20 in DeKalb County, police said.

The wreck, which happened just after 5:30 a.m. on I-20 eastbound at Candler Road, shut down all eastbound lanes of the interstate for more than three hours.

DeKalb police Capt. Stephen Fore told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that the preliminary investigation indicates that the tractor-trailer “experienced problems with the air brakes and came to a stop in one of the travel lanes.”

Fore said in an email that an eastbound pickup then ran into the back of the tractor-trailer.

The pickup driver, who was alone in his vehicle, died at the scene. Chanel 2 Action News identified the driver as

Brandon Marks, 30, of Lithonia. The tractor-trailer driver was not injured.

The wreckage was cleared and the interstate reopened just before 9 a.m.

About the Author

Keep Reading

The 2026 FIFA World Cup will expand to 48 teams, marking the first expansion of the field since 1998. (Jason Getz/AJC)

Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com

Featured

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