Police Identify Driver Killed In Accident On GA-400 In Sandy Springs

SANDY SPRINGS, GA -- Sandy Springs police have identified the driver of a pickup truck who died Sunday afternoon in a two-vehicle collision along GA-400.

Donald Diem, 44, of Marietta was behind the wheel of a white 2008 Dodge Ram that slammed into the back of a tractor trailer on the southbound side of the highway south of the Northridge Road interchange, said police spokesperson Sgt. Sam Worsham.

Reports indicate the tractor trailer was stopped in the emergency lane around 3:24 p.m. Aug. 20 when Diem, who was pulling a small Jon boat on a boat trailer, collided with the larger vehicle, Worsham added (SIGN UP: Get Patch's Daily Newsletter and Real Time News Alerts. Or, if you have an iPhone, download the free Patch app).

Diem was pronounced dead at the scene. The tractor trailer, a 2006 Volvo, was driven by James Howard, who was hauling a fully-loaded trailer at the time of the collision. Howard, whose wife was on board at the time of the crash, was transported to Northside Hospital where he was treated for a panic attack.

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"Several witnesses reported that the Dodge struck the tractor trailer at full speed, without applying any brakes," Worsham said. "After the impact, the Dodge rotated in a counter-clockwise direction, causing the boat and trailer to jack-knife. They came to a final rest in the adjacent ditch."

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