Man On Wet Road Crashes Into Tree, Dies

MARIETTA, Ga.,None — A man driving on a wet road crashed into a tree and died early Thursday, Marietta police said.

The crash happened on Burnt Hickory Road in Marietta around 1:30 a.m.

Police blocked off the road for three hours as crews worked to clear the crash, but Channel 2's Amanda Cook got close enough to watch a wrecker carry away a shredded Chevy Tahoe. Police said several dangerous conditions may have led to the crash.

Marietta resident Nathan Hitchcock, 41, was driving along the road when he lost control of the car and slammed into a tree, police said. The car was wedged in between two trees, and the driver was killed on impact, police said. When firefighters arrived, they had to cut open the car to extract the Hitchcock's body, police said.

SUV Slams Into Tree In Deadly Crash

Police said speed may have been a factor in the crash.

"If there's an accident out here, it can usually be attributed to too much speed," Marietta police officer Michael Gardner told Cook.

He said speed compounded with a wet, windy, narrow road is extremely dangerous. Police are also looking into whether Hitchcock had been drinking.

Hitchcock was the only occupant of the car, police said.

WSBTV