Fairburn police don’t know why, or how, a pickup truck was able to ride down the road on only three wheels, but it tipped them off that something was not quite right.
An officer tried to pull the truck over at U.S. 29 and Ga. 138 around 5 a.m. Thursday, but it didn’t stop, deputy police chief Anthony Bazydlo told AJC.com. The pickup was also missing its headlights.
It continued driving all over the road and ran straight into the back of a tractor-trailer, according to police. The driver, who was believed to be impaired, was not seriously injured.
“The fact that he wasn’t going fast, that’s what probably ended up saving his life,” Bazydlo said.
Fulton Co.: Injury crash Hwy 138/Jonesboro Rd at I-85. Tractor trailer involved. Avoid this area, use Flat Shoals to get to I-85. #ATLtraffic pic.twitter.com/GKiL6c4l8M
— AJC WSB Traffic (@ajcwsbtraffic) May 23, 2019
The truck did not get above 40 mph in the quarter-mile a Fairburn officer tailed it Thursday morning, he said. Bazydlo would not qualify the incident as a police pursuit.
“Once the officer figured out the guy was not going to stop, she didn’t really want to initiate a pursuit with a suspected drunk driver,” the deputy chief said.
She turned off her blue lights, dropped back a safe distance and called ahead to Union City police as the truck approached the city limits on Ga. 138. Officers in that jurisdiction were scrambling to set up a roadblock when the truck reportedly ran a red light and crashed into the big rig near the entrance to I-85, according to police.
“The whole thing started and finished in two minutes,” Bazydlo said.
The intersection remained closed until about 6:30 a.m. while Union City police investigated.
Fulton Co.: Injury Crash Clearing: Hwy 138/Jonesboro Rd at I-85. Tractor trailer involved. All Lanes should be open Soon. https://t.co/2hvjWkI3bV #ATLtraffic pic.twitter.com/27S50b83u9
— AJC WSB Traffic (@ajcwsbtraffic) May 23, 2019
While the driver of the tractor-trailer was not injured, the pickup driver was taken to a hospital to be checked out for injuries. Bazydlo said he is also expected to be tested for sobriety.
He is not being named until charges are determined. He is likely to face a charge of failure to yield, which is a step down from fleeing and eluding, out of Fairburn and additional charges out of Union City related to the accident, according to police.
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