Investigators had not yet determined late Wednesday what caused a Cobb County woman to drive the wrong way on Ga. 400, causing a wreck that killed herself and 44-year-old Atlanta man.
But alcohol could have been a factor, Officer Kim Jones with Atlanta police said hours after the predawn wreck. The wreck happened about 4:15 a.m. on Ga. 400 northbound just before the Atlanta Financial Center tunnel.
A preliminary investigation indicated that Frampere Ingle, 24, entered Ga. 400 at Lenox Road going southbound in the northbound lanes, Jones said.
"The wrong-way driver collided head-on with another vehicle that was traveling north on Ga. 400," Jones said.
The northbound driver, identified Wednesday evening as Eric Hanks, died at the scene, Jones said. Ingle, of Marietta, died at Grady Memorial Hospital following the crash, according to Mark Gilbeau, an investigator with the Medical Examiner's office.
A passenger in Ingle's vehicle, whose name was not released, was severely injured and hospitalized in critical condition, Jones said.
Neither Ingle nor her passenger were wearing seat belts, according to police.
The crash shut down all northbound lanes of Ga. 400 for more than three hours. Authorities blocked access to Ga. 400 at I-85 until the wreckage was cleared around 7:30 a.m.
— Alexis Stevens contributed to this report
