South Georgia man dies in fiery crash on I-85 in Gwinnett
A South Georgia man died Wednesday morning after a fiery crash on I-85 in Gwinnett County.
Kyle Persing, 32, of Ochlocknee, was injured in the wreck and died on the way to the hospital after he was pulled from his vehicle by a Gwinnett police officer.
The wreck, which involved Persing’s pickup truck and an SUV, happened about 1:30 a.m. at Jimmy Carter Boulevard, according to Gwinnett police spokeswoman Cpl. Michele Pihera. The truck caught fire after the crash, and Persing had to be freed from the vehicle, she said.
A Gwinnett police officer was injured during the rescue effort, according to Pihera. The officer was checked out at a hospital and released.
The driver of the SUV, who was not identified by police, was taken to a hospital with minor injuries.
Though the details of the crash are still under investigation, it’s believed Persing may have lost control or unexpectedly changed lanes, making contact with the SUV, Pihera said. The contact caused both vehicles to veer into the center median wall, resulting in the truck flipping several times and catching fire.
All northbound lanes of I-85 were closed for about four hours Wednesday morning, according to the WSB 24-hour Traffic Center. The crash was cleared just before 5:30 a.m.
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About the Author
Asia Simone Burns is a watchdog reporter for the AJC. Burns was formerly an intern in AJC’s newsroom and now writes about crime. She is a graduate of Samford University and has previously reported for NPR and WABE, Atlanta’s NPR member station.
