Tractor-trailer catches on fire, shuts down busy DeKalb road for hours
Traffic was impacted for hours Thursday morning through a busy DeKalb County corridor after a tractor-trailer snagged a powerline, pulling down a power pole and catching its trailer on fire.
All westbound lanes of North Druid Hills were closed around 8 a.m. near the intersection with Briarcliff Road while crews worked to extinguish the fire on a big rig carrying a Walgreens trailer. The traffic headaches also spilled over to I-85 as a nearby exit ramp backed up.
Brookhaven police spokesman Officer Jacob Kissel said the Walgreens truck was on its way to make a delivery and used a side entrance to the pharmacy located behind a Burger King. When the truck entered the Burger King parking lot, it snagged a low-hanging powerline, pulling the telephone pole and transformer down on top of its trailer.
Photos from the scene showed the truck burst into flames after the transformer ignited. No one was injured, Kissel said.
Video shared by the WSB 24-hour Traffic Center showed the truck burning in the parking lot of a Burger King next door to Walgreens, sending huge plumes of smoke over North Druid Hills Road.
Crews could be seen dousing the charred and crushed trailer with water for hours even after the flames were extinguished.
According to the Georgia Department of Transportation, traffic was stopped on the westbound lanes of North Druid Hills Road from Lavista Road all the way to I-85 during firefighting efforts. Traffic on I-85 North was also moving slowly on the approach to the North Druid Hills Road exit as the exit ramp backed up.
All lanes had reopened as of 11 a.m., according to GDOT.
Police said no charges will be filed in this case because the incident took place on private property and “was not criminal in nature.”
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About the Author
Henri Hollis is a reporter and restaurant critic for the Food & Dining team. Formerly a freelance writer and photographer with a focus on food and restaurants, he joined the AJC full-time in January 2021, first covering breaking news. He is a lifelong Atlantan and a graduate of Georgia Tech.
