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.

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The city of Brookhaven's mayor and City Council last week decided to remove the colored panes of glass from the dome of Brookhaven's new City Centre after residents objected to the brightness of the colors, seen here Friday, June 27, 2025. (Reed Williams/AJC)

Credit: Reed Williams/AJC

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The city of Brookhaven's mayor and City Council last week decided to remove the colored panes of glass from the dome of Brookhaven's new City Centre after residents objected to the brightness of the colors, seen here Friday, June 27, 2025. (Reed Williams/AJC)

Credit: Reed Williams/AJC