A Waycross man died in a two-vehicle accident on Interstate 985 in the Gainesville area Wednesday night.
The Georgia State Patrol said Eddie Cooper, 41, died and his passenger, Stacy Ramsey, 49, of Marietta, suffered a serious injury.
Cooper was driving northbound on I-985 just north of Candler Road in a commercial vehicle, a 2017 Peterbilt 320, in the right lane, and the second vehicle, a 2004 Ford F350, was traveling in the left lane, around 7 p.m. The commercial vehicle experienced "a tire failure," according to troopers, and Cooper lost control, veering to the left.
The commercial vehicle struck the Ford F350 and then went through the left guardrail, heading down an embankment and coming to an uncontrolled rest.
Both Cooper and Ramsey were trapped in the commercial vehicle and had to be extricated and transported to the hospital with serious injuries. Cooper later succumbed to his injuries at Northeast Georgia Medical Center.
The second driver, Brian Gilbert, 36, of Gainesville, suffered a minor injury and was treated on the scene.
No charges are expected.
