In the last two weeks there have been three horrific crashes caused by wrong-way drivers on metro Atlanta interstates. The fact these crashes were so severe and happened in such a short time span, caused many motorists to raise questions and wonder why these crashes were occurring.
My radio colleague Tim Bryant, morning host on WGAU in Athens raised another question. He asked me what was the protocol for police agencies when a wrong-way driver was reported on the interstates.
Bryant suggested that it didn’t seem safe for police officers to chase a vehicle going the wrong-way on a freeway. I admitted that I didn’t know the answer to his question but that I would try and find out.
I turned to Cpl. Chris Hinkler from the Georgia State Patrol for some insight.
“There’s no set protocol because it’s a fluid situation that we need to respond to as we see fit,” Hinkler said. “But, what a trooper is normally going to do is to get ahead of them so we can be coming at them.”
For example, if a wrong-way driver is reported driving southbound on the northbound lanes of Interstate 85 near Georgia 316, the officer will radio ahead to units to enter the road on an exit south of the reported driver. In this case, Beaver Ruin Road or Indian Trail Road.
“Right, get on maybe Beaver Ruin going northbound and slow down traffic and get them stopped and pinned up against the wall before they hurt somebody.” Hinkler said.
No matter what the responding officers do in that situation, the danger level is extremely high.
So, what are the main causes of wrong-way drivers?
I admit that when I first moved to Atlanta, I accidentally started to drive the wrong-way down one-way Spring Street. My unfamiliarity with the streets caused me to make that error. Luckily I was able to turn off the road quickly before anything bad happened.
“There are generally two main causes aside from unfamiliarity,” Hinkler said. “You have people under the influence who late night, with no other vehicles on the roadway, make a left-hand turn onto a ramp not realizing what it is and just keep going because they’re so out of it.”
The third reason?
“The other main cause is elderly drivers or people with mental incapacities,” Hinkler said. “They can’t see the signs or get lost and turn down a roadway. We’ve had that happen. Where a 70- or 80-year-old person driving at night doesn’t know where they are.”
Sadly, we witnessed another cause recently, where a driver wanted to commit suicide by driving the wrong-way down an interstate.
What should you do if you see a wrong-way driver?
“You can call 911 or call *GSP which goes directly to our radio rooms and we can be dispatched out,” Hinkler said.
About the Author
