A woman was rescued by DeKalb County firefighters after her car was crushed under a semi-truck in a serious crash that shut down I-285 South for several hours Tuesday afternoon.
The wreck happened around 3:30 p.m. near the exit to East Ponce de Leon Avenue, DeKalb police spokeswoman Michaela Vincent told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. A dump truck was trying to slow down in traffic but was not able to stop in time, causing it to hit a semi-truck. The initial collision caused a second semi-truck to hit a small car, and the truck ultimately came to rest on top of the car and driver.
The woman driving the car was trapped, but DeKalb firefighters were able to extract her, Vincent said. No updates were provided on the woman’s condition, but Vincent confirmed that she was taken to the hospital. A medical helicopter was seen leaving the site of the wreck.
The crash caused a 10-mile backup on the Perimeter and shut down the interstate for about three hours, though traffic delays lasted much longer, according to the WSB 24-hour Traffic Center.
GRIDLOCK ALERT DeKalb Co: All lanes of I-285/sb (Inner Loop) at East Ponce (Exit 40) are now OPEN but still jammed out of Dunwoody as delays try to improve. https://t.co/2hvjWkqrNl #ATLtraffic pic.twitter.com/B0aus848tN
— AJC WSB Traffic (@ajcwsbtraffic) September 21, 2021
The wreck caused major backups during the height of Atlanta’s evening commute. Vincent said she was unaware if charges related to the crash have been filed, but the investigation is ongoing.
Up over the scene of this 🚨RED ALERT. I-285/sb (Inner Loop) remains shut at E. Ponce (Exit 40). 10-mile delays. Don’t go past Chamb Dun (Exit 30). Four big trucks. What’s left of a small car. Major cleanup. Heli ambulance just left. #ATLtraffic pic.twitter.com/uoa5wEgT6V
— 🔥Fireball Turnbull 🚁 (@DougTurnbull) September 21, 2021
— Please return to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution for updates.
