ATHENS, Ga. — The University of Georgia community is mourning the tragic death of George Whittenburg, 21, a student from Austin, Texas, who died Friday after being struck by a pickup truck that rolled backwards earlier in the week.
According to Athens-Clarke County police, the incident occurred around 7:35 p.m. on Jan. 28 in the 300 block of Peabody Street. Whittenburg was standing outside a 2018 Toyota Tundra, which he was driving, when the vehicle began rolling in reverse. The truck struck him and rolled over him before continuing backward into an unoccupied vehicle and finally coming to rest after hitting a tree.
Whittenburg was transported to a nearby hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries on Jan. 30. Authorities have noted that this crash is the first traffic fatality in Athens-Clarke County in 2026.
Investigators have not yet determined what caused the Tundra to roll backward.
George Whittenburg’s passing is a heartbreaking loss for his family, friends, and the University of Georgia community, and his life will be remembered for the time he spent among those who loved him.
