Man accused of I-85 bridge collapse reprimanded for alcohol use

6/16/17 - Atlanta, GA -  Basil Eleby stands with his attorneys during a brief press conference after his hearing.  Eleby, the once-homeless man accused to setting the fire that brought down a section of Interstate 85, appears in court for a status hearing.  BOB ANDRES  /BANDRES@AJC.COM

6/16/17 - Atlanta, GA - Basil Eleby stands with his attorneys during a brief press conference after his hearing. Eleby, the once-homeless man accused to setting the fire that brought down a section of Interstate 85, appears in court for a status hearing. BOB ANDRES /BANDRES@AJC.COM

The man charged with setting the fire that led to the collapse of a portion of I-85 in Atlanta was reprimanded on Monday after testing positive for alcohol.

Basil Eleby, who is in a pre-trial drug treatment program as a condition of his bond, also tested positive for cocaine on Sept. 6.

On Wednesday, he was placed briefly in handcuffs and could have been returned to prison. Instead, he will continue in the treatment program.

Authorities charged Eleby with arson after they say he set fire to a shopping cart under the highway in March. The blaze eventually caused a chunk of the busy interstate to collapse after it spread to construction material the Georgia Department of Transportation stored under the bridge.

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