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.
A GCPD officer was injured while trying to extricate a driver from a fiery crash early this morning on Interstate 85. There were 2 vehicles involved. One of the drivers died as a result of his injuries.
— Gwinnett County Police (@GwinnettPd) July 8, 2020
More details here: https://t.co/bg1oR3YZJ0 pic.twitter.com/JMR9I0GiGD
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.
Crash Investigation has Cleared on I-85/nb at Jimmy Carter Blvd. (exit 99) all lanes are now open. Delays remain into Norcross https://t.co/MhPvicYKPN #ATLtraffic pic.twitter.com/nCIAXA5nPq
— AJC WSB Traffic (@ajcwsbtraffic) July 8, 2020
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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Credit: AJC
