2 killed in DeKalb crash that closed I-285 for 5 hours

Two women were killed and a man is in critical condition after their vehicle was rear-ended early Monday morning on I-285, DeKalb County authorities said.

An investigation shut down the westbound lanes of the interstate at Bouldercrest Road for five hours, resulting in massive inner loop delays for the majority of the Monday morning commute.

According to a DeKalb police spokeswoman, the victims’ vehicle was hit from behind around 3:45 a.m. The vehicle was reduced to a hunk of metal.

Credit: JOHN SPINK / JSPINK@AJC.COM

Credit: JOHN SPINK / JSPINK@AJC.COM

“Three individuals were in that car, including the female driver and a male and female passenger,” spokeswoman Michaela Vincent said in an emailed statement. “The female driver and female passenger died from their injuries. Both victims were in their 50s.”

Their names were not released.

The surviving passenger was taken to a hospital, where he was in critical condition Monday. The other driver, whose name was not released, was also taken to a hospital with injuries that are not considered life-threatening.

“Charges against him are pending as investigators believe speed may have been a factor,” Vincent said.

The westbound lanes were closed for three hours during the initial investigation. Around 6:30 a.m., authorities reopened a center lane to relieve traffic stuck in the backups, but it closed again one hour later. The lanes did not begin reopening for good until the investigation wrapped up shortly before 8:30 a.m.

— Please return to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution for updates.