Pedestrian hit, killed while crossing I-20 near downtown Atlanta

A motorist who tried to swerve around a man wearing all black and crossing I-20 near downtown Atlanta before dawn Wednesday hit and killed the pedestrian, authorities confirmed.

Traffic was backed up for hours as Atlanta police shut down all westbound lanes of the interstate to investigate the fatal collision, which took place around 6 a.m. Lanes began to reopen around 9 a.m. as the investigation concluded.

The pedestrian, who has not been publicly identified, was hit and fatally injured despite the driver’s attempt to avoid him, police said. The Fulton County medical examiner responded to the scene and pronounced the man dead.