Driver knocked across 3 lanes in deadly crash

Police say man swerved into oncoming traffic.

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.

JOHN SPINK / JSPINK@AJC.COM A driver with Willard Wrecker Service prepares to move a car from the scene of a fatal crash on Lawrenceville Highway on Thursday morning. The crash shut down the highway for two hours.