New details were released Friday in a crash that killed one person, seriously injured another and shut down a Gwinnett County highway for nearly two hours Thursday.

According to an accident report obtained by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Miguel Chavez was approaching Summerwalk Parkway from northbound Lawrenceville Highway about 7:30 a.m. when “he abruptly swerved left and went into a critical speed yaw.”

A “critical speed yaw” is a term police use to describe “when tire marks aren’t going directly over one another.”

Police don’t know what prompted Chavez to swerve. However, they said the move sent his 2006 Honda Accord across three lanes and into oncoming traffic.

At that point, the Accord landed in front of a southbound 1993 Toyota Camry, according to the crash report.

Otilio Acevedo Sanchez, who was driving the Camry, swerved to avoid the Accord but instead hit the passenger’s side.

The Accord went from the far left lane to the far right lane, authorities said.

Chavez, 20, of Tucker, died at the scene.

Acevedo Sanchez, 47, of Tucker, was taken to Gwinnett Medical Center with serious injuries, according to the crash report.

His condition was not known Friday.

While the investigation is ongoing, preliminary findings suggest speed played a factor in the crash, police said.

In other news:

Police say a 15-year-old cut holes in the ceiling to spy on girls.

About the Author

Keep Reading

Josephine Hardin, an Atlanta attorney with the Huff Powell Bailey law firm, is presumed dead after the July Fourth flooding in central Texas, the firm announced. (Courtesy of Huff Powell Bailey)

Credit: Huff Powell Bailey law firm

Featured

Rebecca Ramage-Tuttle, assistant director of the Statewide Independent Living Council of Georgia, says the the DOE rule change is “a slippery slope” for civil rights. (Hyosub Shin/AJC)

Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC