Speeding driver hits and kills man waiting for his car to be towed, Georgia cops say
A 22-year-old man is dead after he was struck by a speeding car as it fled authorities on a Georgia interstate over the weekend, according to state police.
Hugo N. Martinez was standing on the shoulder of Interstate 85 North in Gwinnett County when he was hit and killed, Georgia State Patrol said in a news release.
Troopers were attempting to stop a gray Porsche Cayman for speeding around 8 p.m. Sunday, March 6, when they said it careened into the east shoulder, striking Martinez.
“Once the trooper activated his emergency equipment, the Porsche fled, initiating a pursuit,” police said. “The driver of the Porsche began making additional improper lane changes, driving recklessly, and accelerated to high speeds.”
Martinez’s car was disabled and had just been loaded onto a wrecker waiting in the emergency lane, troopers said. Both he and the driver of the wrecker were on the shoulder when the out-of-control Porsche sped toward them.
Martinez “suffered fatal injuries,” police said, while the wrecker driver managed to jump over a concrete barrier to safety.
The driver of the Porsche was later identified as 55-year-old Victor Allen Smith, according to state troopers. He faces several charges including felony murder, homicide by vehicle, speeding and DUI.
Gwinnett County is about 30 miles northeast of downtown Atlanta.
This story was originally published March 8, 2022 at 10:42 AM with the headline "Speeding driver hits and kills man waiting for his car to be towed, Georgia cops say."