The Downtown Connector’s southbound lanes through Midtown Atlanta were shut down for more than three hours after a wrong-way driver crashed into another vehicle early Friday, according to the Georgia State Patrol.
A trooper traveling southbound spotted the suspected wrong-way driver, 20-year-old Addison Thornton, heading north in the HOV lane of I-75/I-85 South, the GSP said. The trooper “attempted to intercept the wrong-way driver, but by the time he caught up to the vehicle, it was involved in a crash,” according to a statement released by the GSP.
The wreck happened just before the North Avenue exit at about 3:25 a.m., according to the Georgia Department of Transportation. All lanes reopened by 7 a.m.
The driver and a passenger in the second vehicle, and a 17-year-old passenger in the at-fault vehicle, were all taken to Grady Memorial Hospital for their injuries, the GSP said. The investigating trooper took Thornton to the hospital for medical clearance, officials said.
Thornton was determined to be under the influence during a “DUI test,” according to the GSP. She faces charges of driving under the influence, driving on the wrong side of the roadway, possession of a fraudulent driver’s license, underage consumption and serious injury by motor vehicle, a felony.
The patrol’s Specialized Collision Reconstruction Team also investigated the wreck due to its severity, officials said.
— Please return to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution for updates.
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