Cobb County police said flying debris likely led to a fatal multivehicle wreck that blocked the eastbound lanes of I-20 for several hours Friday morning.
Dashboard camera footage obtained by Channel 2 Action News appears to show a white car sideswipe a gray car at a high rate of speed, causing the gray car to spin out across several lanes before crashing into the median wall.
The wreck occurred shortly before 11 a.m. near Riverside Parkway, not far from Six Flags Over Georgia, Cobb police spokesman Sgt. Wayne Delk told AJC.com.
The man who died was later identified as 33-year-old Ryan Nelson by Channel 2. Investigators believe a piece of metal from a truck hit his windshield, causing his death.
We're learning more about the man killed Friday in a freak accident on I-20. Friends say Ryan Nelson was a beloved member of the entertainment industry before a piece of metal from a truck hit his windshield. Gathering info now for a report @ 11pm. #Nightbeat pic.twitter.com/FbMGR7si7B
— Matt Johnson (@MattWSB) September 25, 2019
The driver of the gray car that spun out, 20-year-old Lana’i Ware, told Channel 2 that she only suffered a small injury to her knee. As lucky as she said she feels, Nelson’s death has hung over her.
“I think about him every day,” she said. “I do feel bad about me still being here, and it didn’t make sense to me why I’m here, and all I could think about was it was God.”
Cobb police shut down all eastbound lanes to investigate the wreck as motorists squeezed by on the right shoulder. No charges are expected to be filed in this incident.
GRIDLOCK ALERT in Cobb Co.: Injury Crash on I-20/eb past Riverside Pkwy (exit 46) leaves only the right shoulder open. Heavy delays Avoid and use Hwy 78 as an alternate https://t.co/MhPvicYKPN #ATLtraffic pic.twitter.com/IJrRbsl2ru
— AJC WSB Traffic (@ajcwsbtraffic) September 20, 2019
Katie Grigorov told Channel 2 she was driving behind the cars involved in the crash when she saw the debris fly into the eastbound lanes from the opposite side of the interstate.
"It was going with such speed that it just went through," she said. "I stopped when I saw it flying."
Her dashboard camera captured the wreck and the aftermath. Investigators have not said where the debris came from, but the cause of the crash remains under investigation, Delk said.
A GoFundMe page was created for Nelson's funeral costs. As of Tuesday night, it had raised nearly $6,000.
