Atlanta

‘Split second’: Man severely injured after trailer detaches from truck, hits him along I-20

A man is fighting for his life after a bizarre crash that involved an unhitched trailer on the highway.

Loved ones say by the grace of God, Scott Watkins, 63, is alive today. 

But they tell us the husband, father, and grandfather’s life will never be the same again. 

“He’s fighting for his life,” said George Jackson, who was there during the crash.  

Loved ones shared a photo of Watkins lying in a Grady Memorial Hospital bed on a ventilator after a tragic crash on Interstate 20.

“It was like split second,” Jackson said.

Jackson said he and Watkins pulled over near the Wesley Chapel exit to help a coworker who was having a mechanical issue with their trailer.

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But little did they know, another trailer had just unhitched from a vehicle and was flying down the highway.

“And next thing I know, I got struck and thrown into another truck, and broke my ribs,” Jackson said.

DeKalb County police told Channel 2’s Cory James that this all happened around 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday.

Investigators say the pickup driver, heading westbound, did not stop after Watkins and Jackson were hit.

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“It pushed a trailer that weighs 10 times and pushed it probably five feet forward, and he had bones sticking out of his legs. It was definitely not a good scene,” Jackson said.

Randy Johnson witnessed the aftermath of what happened to his coworkers.

He wants the person responsible for the hit-and-run to come forward.

“I don’t know how you can live with yourself, and you need to do the right thing,” Johnson said.  

Right now, loved ones say Watkins is in the ICU recovering from multiple surgeries to his shattered legs, a broken arm and ribs, and losing 11 units of blood, causing kidney failure.

They started a GoFundMe account to help with medical costs.

“He’s going to have a long, long, long recovery,” Jackson said.

DeKalb County said they are not aware of the trailer having a license plate. They are asking anyone who has information about the make and model of the pickup hauling that trailer to call them.

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