I-285 in Fulton County was closed for nearly 10 hours after a tractor-trailer carrying liquid latex crashed and caught on fire Monday night.
The northbound wreck happened just before Langford Parkway and involved multiple tractor-trailers, causing a debris field that spanned several lanes. The lanes, which were blocked at about 10 p.m., reopened at 8 a.m. Tuesday.
Credit: John Spink / John.Spink@ajc.com
Credit: John Spink / John.Spink@ajc.com
Wreckers removed the immobilized big rigs, one of which had its windshield bashed in. The overnight cleanup was further complicated around 7:15 a.m. when one of the wreckers leaving the scene had its extended crane get caught under the Langford Parkway bridge. That driver was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital, police said. It is not clear if the bridge was evaluated for structural damage.
Police have not said if any other injuries were reported.
The truck that caught on fire was carrying 18 pallets of liquid latex, Atlanta police confirmed to Channel 2 Action News. Liquid latex is often used for special effects makeup, body painting and casting applications. It is not particularly flammable, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s database of hazardous chemicals.
The mess caused major delays headed away from Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. Commuters already on I-285 had to take the Camp Creek Parkway exit to get around the backups, according to the WSB 24-hour Traffic Center. Other motorists were forced to take I-85 North to the Downtown Connector and then I-20 West to get back onto the westside Perimeter.
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