New Details in Accident that Shut Down I-475 Friday Night
NewsCentral Staff
Story Created:
Mar 2, 2013 at 1:35 AM EDT
Story Updated:
Mar 3, 2013 at 12:25 AM EDT
New details are emerging regarding an accident involving one car and a tanker truck that produced huge flames and shut down part of I-475 Friday night.
According to a release from the Bibb County Sheriff's Office, 26-year-old Nicholas Deonte Owens was driving a 2006 Volvo Station Wagon that collided with a fuel tanker that was exiting I-475.
Following the accident, Owens told deputies that following a dispute with his wife, he left and when he saw the tanker truck pulling onto Thomaston Road, he made the decision to attempt to end his life. Owens accelerated his vehicle, jumped the curb and struck the tanker portion of the tanker truck.
Crews responded to the intersection of I-475 and Thomaston Road where flames erupted from the truck after the collision.
According to scanner traffic, the interstate was blocked in places and additional assistance was requested from the Emergency Management office and from Hazmat officials.
Following the accident, Owens' legs were burned. He told deputies that he got out of his vehicle, walked over to the Thomaston Road bridge and was about to jump when two Macon Police Officers pulled him down.
Owens was transported to the Medical Center of Central Georgia before being transferred to the Augusta Burn Center Saturday morning.
Byron Cummings of Macon was driving the tanker. He had just filled the fuel tanker with 7,500 gallons of gasoline and 500 gallons of diesel. The fuel tanker was owned by Justin Davis Enterprises.
The Georgia State Patrol is investigating the accident.
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