A man was killed late Friday night after the car he was riding in smashed into a tractor-trailer on I-285 and burst into flames.

Atlanta police have not released the name of the victim, whose body was discovered inside the burned car on a stretch of the interstate near Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway.

The blazing vehicle was wedged underneath the tractor-trailer when officers arrived just after 11 p.m., according to Atlanta police spokesman Officer Steve Avery.

Investigators determined the car had tried to leave the interstate, but the driver lost control. The car crashed underneath the big rig, and the tractor-trailer dragged it “for several yards” before finally stopping, police said.

Investigators were not initially able to determine if any passengers were inside the car “due to it being severely burned,” Avery said.

“Upon further investigation, the Atlanta Police Accident Investigations Unit determined there was one male victim inside the burned vehicle who was confirmed deceased as a result of the collision,” he said.

About the Author

Keep Reading

Plums of smoke rise from the area of a UPS cargo plane crash at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025, in Louisville, Ky. (Jon Cherry/AP)

Credit: AP

Featured

A person exits the Wolf Creek Library in Atlanta after casting his ballot during election day on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025. (Miguel Martinez/AJC)

Credit: Miguel Martinez/AJC