On a late July afternoon, the life of 64-year-old Richard Hawk of Texas was tragically cut short in what authorities have described as a road rage shooting on Interstate 85 in Troup County, Georgia. The male victim was traveling south near the 11-mile marker when an encounter with another vehicle escalated with fatal consequences.
Deputies from the Troup County Sheriff's Office were initially called to what they believed was a single-vehicle accident around 4:00 p.m. on July 30, 2025. They discovered Richard Hawk's vehicle in the median of the interstate. Inside, they found him unresponsive and bleeding from the head. Emergency medical personnel were quickly on the scene and, while rendering aid, discovered that Hawk had sustained a gunshot wound. He was rushed to WellStar West Georgia Medical Center, but his injuries proved to be too severe, and he was pronounced dead shortly after his arrival.
The investigation into the incident quickly shifted from an accident to a homicide. A crucial witness came forward, telling dispatchers they had seen aggressive driving and a possible road rage incident between two vehicles just moments before the shooting. This witness was able to provide a description of the second vehicle and its license plate number to the West Point Police Department.
Armed with this vital information, officers in the nearby city of West Point located the suspect's vehicle. The driver was identified as 23-year-old Nytorian Allen of LaGrange. Troup County investigators took Allen into custody and, after questioning, charged him with murder and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime. Authorities later revealed that Allen had a previous arrest in May of that year for an incident where he allegedly used his vehicle in a threatening manner toward three managers at his former place of employment, resulting in charges of reckless driving and simple assault. The investigation into Richard Hawk's death is ongoing.
