ATLANTA — A 21-year-old student is dead after he was hit by a car on a busy Atlanta highway, just a week before his birthday.
Atlanta Police say officers were dispatched Saturday morning around 6 a.m. to the southbound lanes of GA 400 near Sidney Marcus Boulevard after getting reports of a person hit by a car.
When they got there, officers found the man, 21-year-old Stephan Agan, in the lanes of traffic. Police said he was not conscious and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Authorities said the driver who they believe hit him stayed on scene and told officers he hit the man as he was in the left lane.
The accident is now under investigation as police work to figure out why the man was in the roadway, but for family, his death has left them deeply devastated.
The 21-year-old from Sandy Springs was an engineering student in his last year at Gwinnett Technical College and would have turned 22 on Jan. 1. But instead of celebrating the birthday and accomplishments of a man - described as a loving person - family is mourning his loss.
Photos: Stephan Agan
"His death is still a mystery," Agan's cousin, Berna Filiz Agan, told 11Alive on Tuesday. "I mean we do not know how he ended up on the highway."
Berna said Stephan was at the PBR Bar at the Battery on the night before his death, but they don't know who he was with. They also don't know how he got to GA 400 - nearly 14 miles away. Family has asked to get permission to see security video from that time in hopes to get clues. There are also no signs of his car or phone.
They are now doing everything they can to generate tips to help figure out who may know something about Stephan's death.
"We are not going to let this case go. Because this is not a normal death," Berna said.
Berna said family is now coming together to support Stephan's parents and brothers in their grief - with a focus on finding answers.
"We are all devastated. There are no words to describe this pain, but we all are holding on," Berna said. "We need all the prayers we can get. All we want is to find answers. We don’t want him to die in vain."
Family has created a Facebook page to help people who may have seen anything submit tips, and hopefully, get justice for Stephan.
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