The Gwinnett County Police Department said Tuesday the man who died in a two-car crash on I-85 north of Hamilton Mill Road Monday was Michael "Dee" Dowis, 48, of Simpsonville, South Carolina.
Numerous social media posts indicate Dowis was born in Franklin County and was a football standout for the Franklin County Lions. He went on to become the quarterback for the Air Force Academy football team from 1986 to 1989. He was a finalist for the Heisman Trophy in 1989.
The Gwinnett Police Department's Accident Investigation Unit said officers were called to the scene at 4:43 a.m. When they arrived, they found Dowis dead at the scene and the driver of another vehicle injured.
The accident report indicated Dowis had entered the northbound lanes of the interstate traveling in the wrong direction. He was attempting to back up his vehicle in the center median when he was hit by a northbound vehicle being driven by Jeremy Weiss, 22, of Raleigh, North Carolina.
Investigators said Weiss' vehicle hit Dowis' vehicle in the driver's side door. Dowis was not wearing his seat belt and died at the scene of the crash.
Weiss was transported to Northeast Georgia Medical Center Braselton for treatment of non-life threatening injuries.
Investigators said they did not know what caused Dowis to travel down the interstate in the wrong direction. They said speed does not appear to be a contributing factor in the fatal wreck.
http://accesswdun.com/article/2016/8/439696/man-killed-on-i-85-identified-as-former-north-georgia-football-standout