A suspected drunk driver triggered the three-car crash that left one person dead Saturday afternoon in southeast Atlanta, police said.

Atlanta police spokesman Officer Ralph Woolfolk said investigators believe the alleged drunk driver, identified as Brandon Thomas, was driving his Honda Civic north on Moreland Avenue when he ran the red light at Memorial Drive. The Civic collided with a Nissan Maxima driving west on Memorial Drive.

The driver of the Maxima was killed in the crash. A female passenger was extricated from the vehicle and taken to the hospital, Woolfolk said, but her condition was unknown.

The crash was reported around 2:45 p.m. No injuries were reported in a third vehicle that was involved in the crash.

Thomas was detained at the scene. Police said Sunday that he was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital and would be booked into the DeKalb County jail when he is discharged.

The exact charges against filed him were unclear.

No further details were immediately available.

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Members of the conversion crew take a break as the main scoreboard is lowered to the floor to be worked on as the arena gets ready for the next concert at State Farm Arena, Thursday, October 2, 2025, in Atlanta. The crew was working on creating a stage for the Friday, Oct. 3 Maxwell concert. (Jason Getz/AJC)

Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com