1 killed in wrong-way crash on Downtown Connector

One person was killed Friday morning after witnesses said an SUV turned around and began driving the wrong way on the Downtown Connector.

The witnesses told police the Mercedes-Benz SUV was traveling the proper direction in the southbound lanes but made a U-turn, resulting in a head-on collision, according to an Atlanta police spokesman.

The crash occurred north of University Avenue about 1:30 a.m. The southbound lanes were shut down for more than four hours while authorities investigated and did not reopen until just before 6 a.m., the WSB 24-hour Traffic Center reported.

ALL lanes now open Downtown, no longer any need for alternate routes. #ATLtraffic https://t.co/FOJRFOw0j8
— Ashley Frasca (@AshleyFrascaWSB) June 5, 2020

According to police, the Mercedes collided with a Hyundai Sonata. The driver of the sedan was dead at the scene, the spokesman said.

The driver of the Mercedes, described by police as a man in his 20s, was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital with two broken legs. He was in critical condition Friday morning.

The incident is the second to involve a wrong-way driver on the Downtown Connector this week. On Sunday, both drivers involved in a head-on collision near University Avenue were killed.

— Please return to AJC.com for updates.

» For updated traffic information, listen to News 95.5 and AM 750 WSB and follow @ajcwsbtraffic on Twitter.

About the Author

Brookhaven removes colored glass from City Centre dome after uproar

Some say the colors were too bright, the dome looked like ice cream with sprinkles and the hues distracted from the building’s muted design.

‘Big Beautiful Bill’ strikes fear in Georgia’s clean energy, EV sectors

If the Senate's One Big Beautiful Bill Act passes, it would eliminate tax credits for EV purchases and installing solar panels and end subsidies for clean energy companies