A Peachtree

City man was in critical condition Tuesday afternoon after his truck struck

a cement truck and veered off the road on Ga. Highway 54 East near its

intersection with Sandy Creek Road.

Lt. Bryan Woodie

of the Fayette County Sheriff's Department said William Eubanks, 35, was

flown to Atlanta Medical Center with head and chest injuries. Eubanks

was not wearing a seat belt although the cement truck driver, Jeffrey

Nellers, 42, of Fayetteville, was belted in and uninjured, Woodie said.

Eubanks' white

1996 Chevy S10 truck matched the description of a vehicle that was reportedly

driving on Hwy. 54 at a high rate of speed and weaving through several

lanes of traffic minutes before the accident, Woodie confirmed. Authorities

could not be absolutely sure Eubanks's truck was the same vehicle, because

the motorist who called in the complaint could not get the truck's tag

number, Woodie added.

Traffic on

Hwy. 54 was stopped entirely for five minutes while the helicopter from

Phoenix Aircare landed in the eastbound lane, Woodie said. The eastbound

lane was closed an additional 20 minutes after the helicopter landed,

he added.

The wreck was

reported at 12:02 p.m., and many eastbound motorists were parked on the

highway while Eubanks was transferred to the helicopter by personnel from

the Fayette County Department of Fire and Emergency Services.

The investigation

was continuing as of Tuesday afternoon, Woodie said. Charges will likely

be pending against Eubanks, although the specifics weren't determined

yet, Woodie said.

Eubanks's truck

struck the rear driver's side of the cement truck before leaving the left

side of the roadway, striking several trees before coming to rest on its

roof, Woodie said.

As with all

serious accidents, blood samples were taken of both drivers that will

be analyzed for the presence of alcohol and drugs, Woodie noted.