(Lawrenceville, Georgia)  At around 4:40am on Saturday, April 23, officers assigned to the Central Precinct were dispatched to a serious traffic accident on Interstate 85 just north of Pleasant Hill Road.  When the officers arrived, they found a deceased female on the ground.  Investigators with the Accident Investigation Unit were initiated to begin their investigation. 

Steven Haynes (age 35, Monticello) was driving a white 2006 Ford Expedition.  Taliah Freeman (age 32, Gainesville) was a passenger. 

Randell Trice (age 51, North Carolina) was driving a tractor trailer. 

Haynes was traveling north on I85 just north of the Pleasant Hill Road bridge.  Trice was traveling the same direction but two lanes to the Expedition’s right.  Both vehicles collided with one another.  (At this time, it is not known who committed the initial traffic violation.)  As a result of the collision, Haynes lost control of his vehicle causing it to rotate counter-clockwise.  The vehicle came to an uncontrolled final rest in the center of the interstate. 

Haynes decided to exit his vehicle in the middle of the interstate and call 911.  His passenger, Freeman, also exited the vehicle to retrieve a personal item from the backseat. 

As Haynes and Freeman were standing on the interstate, the driver of a grey 2005 Pontiac Montana struck the Ford Expedition and both Haynes and Freeman.  Freeman died at the scene.  Haynes was transported to the Gwinnett Medical Center in Lawrenceville with non-life threatening injuries.  Notification has been made to Freeman’s family. 

The grey 2005 Pontiac Montana was driven by Jaquin Carranza-Nomura (age 48, Brookhaven). 

According to the report, no charges have been made at this time.  If anyone witnessed this collision and can provide details on the initial collision, please call the Accident Investigation Unit at 678 442-5623.

It is never safe to exit your vehicle on the interstate following a collision.  Make every attempt to pull your vehicle onto the shoulder and wait for an officer.  If your vehicle is inoperable, turn on your hazard lights, keep your seatbelt on, and wait for a police officer to arrive.