Driver killed after SUV overturns on I-20 in Cobb County
COBB COUNTY, Ga. - A Douglasville man was killed after his SUV crossed several lanes of Interstate 20, collided with two vehicles and overturned Thursday afternoon in Cobb County, police said.
What we know:
The crash happened around 4:45 p.m. on I-20 West just west of Riverside Parkway.
ORIGINAL STORY: Serious injury crash forces extended closure on I-20 westbound
Cobb County police identified the driver who died as 31-year-old Eric Patino.
SUV crosses several lanes of I-20
What happened:
According to a preliminary investigation, Patino was driving a 1997 Ford Explorer west in the far-left lane when, for unknown reasons, the SUV suddenly moved to the right and traveled across the interstate.
Police said the rear passenger side of the Explorer collided with the front driver's side of a 2026 Nissan Frontier driven by a 57-year-old man from Bremen.
The impact caused the Explorer to rotate and strike the rear passenger side of a 2022 Audi Q7 traveling in another westbound lane.
The Audi was driven by 44-year-old person from Villa Rica. There were two passengers, ages 48 and 51, in the Audi.
Driver ejected as SUV overturns
After hitting the Audi, police said the Explorer left the interstate and traveled into a vegetated embankment before overturning.
Patino was ejected from the SUV during the crash. The Explorer eventually came to rest in a wooded area.
Patino was pronounced dead at the scene by the Cobb County Medical Examiner's Office. His family has been notified.
The other individuals were not seriously injured.
Crash remains under investigation
What's next:
The Cobb County Police Department's Selective Traffic Enforcement Program Unit is investigating what caused the Explorer to leave its lane.
Anyone with information about the crash is asked to contact the STEP Unit at 770-499-3987.