Semi stowaway ‘game’ leads to first reported death in Nashville
UPDATE: As of 1 p.m. on October 5th, reports were updated to reflect that the stowaway in question had suffered “critical head injuries” but had not died in the incident.
A man is dead after hitching a ride on a moving semi truck as part of a new and dangerous “game” that seems to have originated in Atlanta.
The accident happened on Monday, October 4th at around 9:45 p.m. in North Nashville, Tennessee near 28th Avenue North.
According to WKRN News, the truck driver noticed the man hanging from his rear view mirror but did not want to stop the truck for fear of being robbed, so instead the trucker drove slowly, hoping that the man would jump off the truck. At one point, the man tried to open the door of the truck, but it was locked.
Eventually, the man either fell off or jumped off of the truck and died on Interstate 40 near McCory Lane. The truck came to a stop several hundred yards away from the body.
This incident comes after a warning issued by Atlanta Police just last week urging drivers to be aware of their surroundings as the popularity of this “game” increases.
“We realize this may come as a surprise to some, but riding on the outside of a semi-truck that is going 65 to 75 mph, or any moving vehicle on I-285, I-75 or any other road, at any speed, is a death wish of sorts,” Atlanta PD said in a statement.
“This hazardous buffoonery by Atlanta’s wayward souls will not be tolerated. There is nothing humorous about jeopardizing the safety of drivers or persons.”