Truck hits, kills man who jumped out of car

Driver says cousin leapt out of Acura, ran north on I-75.

A man jumped out of his cousin’s moving car early Friday on I-75 south in Cobb County and was hit and killed by a tractor-trailer, police said.

A silver Acura TL was heading south on I-75 when the man, a passenger in the front seat, opened the door and jumped out of the car, Cobb police Sgt. Dana Pierce said.

Investigators did not know why.

The incident happened north of Wade Green Road — a busy route in north Cobb County where traffic backups develop early during the morning commute.

The driver, Sheldon Taffe, 39, of Huntsville, Ala., immediately stopped the Acura on the side of the interstate and ran to his cousin, who was lying in the roadway, according to police.

Sheldon Taffe got the man, identified as Duane Taffe, 40, of Decatur, Ala., on his feet and tried to move him off the interstate.

“At some point, while Sheldon was trying to help Duane, a struggle ensued,” Pierce said.

Duane Taffe broke free from his cousin and started running north in the right lane of I-75 south, according to police.

Within moments of doing so, the driver of a blue 2017 Freightliner tractor-trailer hit him.

The truck, driven by Andrew Morrell, 56, of Port Charlotte, Fla., tried to avoid hitting the man, Pierce said.

Duane Taffe died on the scene.

Authorities received a call about the crash about 4:05 a.m., Cobb County fire spokeswoman Denell Boyd said.

The investigation blocked multiple lanes for more than two hours. Even after the investigation wrapped and lanes reopened just before 6:10 a.m., heavy delays were reported at the crash scene, according to the WSB 24-hour Traffic Center.

Just three days earlier, another deadly pedestrian crash shut down a major metro Atlanta interstate during the morning commute. Kevin Jordan, 53, of Atlanta, was killed after several cars hit him early Tuesday on the southbound Downtown Connector at 10th Street, authorities said.

Charges are not expected to be filed in the latest crash.

Anyone with information is asked to call 770-499-3987.