It's a death Richmond County investigators are calling a freak accident. A Georgia Department of Transportation contract worker died after a tire flew off an 18 wheeler and hit him.

The time line leading up to the death of 24-year-old Hugo Blancas is spray painted on the ground. On Monday afternoon, he was doing some road work on Interstate 520 when the accident happened.

"A semi was traveling westbound on I-520 around Laney Walker Extension. The driver’s rear tires came off the trailer. At that time, the tire struck a DOT worker," said Cpl. Danny Whitehead, Richmond County Sheriff’s Office.

The tire that hit Blancas weighed about 200 pounds. That weight, traveling at 55 miles per hour or more can have an impact that can be life threatening.

Blancas was taken to MCGHealth's Trauma Center were he died Tuesday morning.

After revisiting the accident scene and taking a closer look at the evidence, Richmond County's traffic division was able to find the tractor-trailer at Jacobson Companies on Marvin Griffin Road.

"Those tires were held on by 10 lug nuts and for whatever reason they came off," said Cpl. Whitehead.

Richmond County deputies were able to find the driver of the truck. Investigators say he eventually realized that tires were missing tires, but had no idea that they hit anyone.

The Richmond County Sheriff's office tells NBC Augusta Monday was Blancas first day on the job. They also say he was here illegally.