A Newnan man was killed Thursday morning when a woman driving the wrong way on I-285 slammed into his car head-on, setting off a chain-reaction crash that shut down the interstate for several hours, officials said.
The fatal wreck happened about 2:45 a.m. in the eastbound lanes near Flat Shoals Parkway, DeKalb County police spokeswoman Michaela Vincent said. The victim was identified as 31-year-old Kevin Fitzpatrick.
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
The woman who allegedly hit him was rushed to the hospital, where she remains in critical condition, Vincent said. Authorities have not released her name. She is expected to be charged with reckless driving and felony vehicular homicide.
The impact of the collision caused Fitzpatrick to crash into a third car, but that driver is expected to be OK, authorities said.
Fitzpatrick’s family told Channel 2 Action News the Coweta County father was on his way to work Thursday morning when he was killed. Now, they want to know how another driver was able to get on the interstate headed in the wrong direction.
The wreck shut down the eastbound lanes for more than four hours, turning the outer loop into a parking lot during the morning commute. The Perimeter reopened about 7 a.m., according to the WSB 24-hour Traffic Center.
Credit: JOHN SPINK / JSPINK@AJC.COM
Credit: JOHN SPINK / JSPINK@AJC.COM
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