Crime & Safety
Police ID Driver of Fatal Truck Crash Into Lawrenceville Strip Mall
Donald Samples of Snellville died after crashing into Scenic Highway shopping center; police wonder if medical condition caused the accident.
Gwinnett County Police investigators are looking into whether a Snellville man suffered a medical condition before losing control of his tractor trailer and crashing it into a Lawrenceville strip mall Wednesday, May 29.
- Witness: It "looked like a tornado going through the parking lot."
Donald Samples, 66, died in the crash.
"Alcohol and drugs do not appear to be contributing causes at this time," said GCPD Cpl. Edwin Ritter in a media release Wedneday afternoon.
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According to police, Samples was driving northbound on Scenic Highway when he lost control of his black 2012 Kenworth T660Â and slammed into O Wings restaurant and a hair salon at 1195 Scenic Highway in Lawrenceville. Both businesses were closed at the time.
No one else was injured, although there was a karate school in the plaza that was full of children at the time.
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Samples died from his injuries on the scene.
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