Crash shuts down traffic on Ponce de Leon Avenue

Metro Atlanta

Crash shuts down traffic on Ponce de Leon Avenue

Car crash shuts down traffic on Ponce de Leon Avenue

Atlanta police investigate the scene Thursday.

Atlanta police direct traffic on Ponce de Leon Avenue at Lullwater Road where the road was shut down.

Several people were injured -- one critically -- in a multi-car pileup that shut down Ponce de Leon Avenue for much of the morning commute on Thursday, Jan. 12, 2012. Atlanta police said the wreck near Clifton Road happened just after 7 a.m. when the driver of an eastbound Nissan Altima crossed the center line and struck a Dodge Caravan taxi head-on. Three other vehicles were then hit by either the taxi or the Nissan, which caught fire in the crash.

Atlanta firefighters remained vigilant with hoses ready following the crash.

Atlanta firefighters examine the Nissan Altima after the extrication of the driver. The driver of the Nissan was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital in critical condition, and several people in the other vehicles were taken to Grady with injuries that police called moderate to severe.

Atlanta firefighters examine the Nissan Altima after the extrication of the driver.

Atlanta firefighters bring one accident victim to the ambulance after extrication.

Atlanta firefighters roll an accident victim to a waiting ambulance.

Shawn Grady, a former Holly Springs volunteer firefighter, helped beat out the fire in the car of a trapped driver.

1/10

Atlanta police investigate the scene Thursday.

Today's Gallery Headlines

Spain vs. Saudia Arabia

PHOTOS: Spain vs. Saudi Arabia at Atlanta’s third FIFA World Cup match

PHOTOS: WC Fan Fest

PHOTOS: Fans gather at the FIFA Fan Festival at Centennial Olympic Park

atlanta dream, inidana fever

PHOTOS: Atlanta Dream defeat the Indiana Fever at State Farm Arena

juneteenth piedmont

PHOTOS: 2026 Juneteenth Festival held in Piedmont Park

More Galleries

Murphy Crossing rendering March 2026

PHOTOS: Murphy Crossing renderings 2026

Salem Campground Covington

PHOTOS: See the 'Places in Peril' across Georgia for 2026

Juwad Maynard holds a banner during a protest in Atlanta on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026, against the U.S. military action in Venezuela. (Ben Gray for the AJC)

PHOTOS: People gather in downtown Atlanta to protest U.S. military action in Venezuela

Photos of AJC’s final run

PHOTOS: The final print run of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution