Harris Hines, the recently retired chief justice of the Georgia Supreme Court, has died. He was 75 years old.

The Georgia Supreme Court announced that Hines was killed in a car crash on Interstate 95 near downtown Atlanta on Sunday afternoon.

Hines' wife Helen was also in the car and survived the crash.

Current Chief Justice Harold D. Melton confirmed the death in a statement and says all on the court are "shocked and devastated." Melton called Hines "a giant of a man."

"Because of the love he so freely extended to others, he was loved and cherished by every member of this Court, by our staff, and by just about every person who ever met him," Melton said.


Hines retired in August from the state's highest court after a long legal career. He was appointed to the Georgia Supreme Court in 1995 by then-Gov. Zell Miller.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.