The Monday morning commute ground to a halt when one crash on Atlanta’s Downtown Connector led to another, and then more than a dozen after that.
At least 20 vehicles were caught up in the 15 wrecks, which shut down the northbound lanes at 17th Street for nearly an hour and led to far-reaching backups that plagued the interstate much of the morning. At least three other wrecks contributed to traffic woes on the southbound side.
According to the Georgia State Patrol, the 17th Street crashes happened in quick succession at about 5:45 a.m. Investigators are still trying to determine what caused the wrecks but said no major injuries were reported.
WSB traffic reporter Ashley Frasca counted at least 20 vehicles initially stopped at the crash scene. Many of the drivers climbed out of their cars and stood on the interstate, she said. By 6:40 a.m., the wreckage had been moved to the right shoulder.
For the next several hours, the ride from Center Park Credit Union Stadium up to 17th Street moved slowly as crews continued working on the shoulder. It wasn’t until shortly after 10 a.m. that traffic resumed its normal flow.
Credit: John Spink / John.Spink@ajc.com
Credit: John Spink / John.Spink@ajc.com
The ride south into downtown Atlanta was also sluggish much of the morning following crashes, including one at 17th Street on the other side of the concrete median. Four vehicles were involved in that wreck at about 6:45 a.m.
— Please return to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution for updates.
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