A wrong-way driver was killed and seven others were injured in a multivehicle wreck that blocked traffic on I-75 in Henry County for about four hours Sunday morning, authorities said.
The fiery crash was reported at around 5:20 a.m. in the southbound lanes near Hudson Bridge Road, according to the Georgia Department of Transportation.
Officers responded to the scene and found a Dodge Stratus on fire and a GMC Yukon overturned nearby, Stockbridge police spokesperson Ron Momon said. Three other vehicles, including two tractor-trailers, were also involved, he added.
Investigators determined the Stratus was traveling north in the southbound lanes when it collided head-on with the Yukon that was going in the correct direction. The Stratus rotated in the middle lane and was struck by the front end of one of the tractor-trailers, causing the car to flip several times and catch on fire, according to the Georgia State Patrol.
“The impact of the crash caused the Dodge Stratus to become engulfed in flames, leaving no chance of survival for its driver, 23-year-old Alyssa Johnson, who was found deceased at the scene,” Momon said.
All seven occupants of the Yukon were injured after the vehicle overturned several times, authorities said. The injuries were considered serious for two of them, including a 12-year-old, the GSP said. County fire officials previously stated that four vehicles were involved in the crash and that five people had been taken to hospitals with unknown injuries.
The Yukon also struck a Buick vehicle that was disabled, but its passenger was not injured. Another tractor-trailer, identified as a commercial motor vehicle, was damaged by the Stratus as it was overturning, the GSP said. However, it did not have to be towed from the scene.
By 9:30 a.m., all of the lanes had reopened, officials said. The GSP was requested to investigate the crash, police said.
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