ATHENS, Ga. — A tight-knit University of Georgia community is grieving after 21-year-old student George Whittenburg died Friday from injuries he suffered earlier in the week when his own pickup truck rolled over him, according to police reports.
It happened Jan. 28 just after 7:30 p.m. on Peabody Street, a block busy with students heading to class or grabbing dinner as the early evening chill set in. Whittenburg, who lived in Athens but called Austin, Texas home, was standing beside his 2018 Toyota Tundra outside the driver’s door when the truck began to roll backward on its own.
Friends and witnesses described a sudden, chaotic moment: the truck moving in reverse, striking him, and rolling over his body. It didn’t stop there. The truck continued rolling back, nudging an empty vehicle before finally coming to a halt after hitting a tree.
Emergency crews raced to the scene and found Whittenburg with serious, visible injuries. They took him to a nearby hospital, where he fought for his life over the next two days. On Friday, his condition worsened and he succumbed to his injuries.
His death marks the first traffic fatality in Athens-Clarke County in 2026, a grim milestone that has left local police and campus officials urging caution around parked vehicles and reminding the community about general safety near roadways.
Investigators with the Athens-Clarke County Police Department have not yet determined what caused the pickup to start rolling backward. Authorities say the case remains under active review as they seek any detail that could explain how a parked truck suddenly became deadly.
University of Georgia spokespeople and student leaders released statements remembering Whittenburg for his warmth, his friendships, and the genuine way he connected with people across campus. Classmates recall his kind smile and easy laugh, describing his loss as deeply personal and painfully real to all who knew him.
As students return to campus this week, many stopped to leave flowers and notes near where the accident happened on Peabody Street. A community once full of plans and promise now pauses, holding onto memories of a young man taken far too soon.
