26-Year-Old Woman Dies After She Darted into Traffic During Fight Along Side of Highway

On Saturday, Aug. 22, 26-year-old Michaela Kemp died after she was struck by a vehicle on an Atlanta highway. She had been in a roadside altercation at the time of the crash, police said.

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A 26-year-old woman was fatally hit on an Atlanta highway in the midst of a physical altercation on Aug. 22

Police said the fight began inside a vehicle and continued when the passengers got out

An investigation into the incident is ongoing

A 26-year-old woman is dead after she was hit by a vehicle on a highway in Atlanta during a suspected roadside altercation.

On Saturday, Aug. 22, officers were dispatched to the southbound lanes of Interstate 85, near the Georgia 400 interchange, following reports that a person had been hit, the Atlanta Police Department said in a statement.

When officers arrived, they found a 26-year-old woman who had been struck by a vehicle. She was later pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said.

The victim has since been identified as Michaela Kemp, ABC affiliate WSB, NBC affiliate WXIA and WANF reported.

Following a preliminary investigation, officials learned that the victim was in a “physical dispute” inside a vehicle that was moving on the highway before it stopped on the shoulder.

Passengers got out of the vehicle and the fight continued, authorities said.

At that point, “the victim darted into a lane of travel and was subsequently struck by a vehicle,” police said.

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The driver of the second vehicle remained at the scene after the fatal crash.

Following the woman’s death, investigators with the police department’s Accident Investigations Unit arrived at the scene to look into the circumstances surrounding the incident.

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A spokesperson for the Atlanta Police Department confirmed that an investigation is ongoing, and the Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office did not immediately respond when contacted by PEOPLE.

“Please keep in mind that the information released is preliminary in nature,” police said, “and could change as the investigation progresses or new information comes to light.”

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