Driver ejected, critically injured during crash with tractor-trailer on I-85
An early Monday morning crash left a driver in critical condition, Gwinnett County police said.
About 3 a.m., a Mercedes was involved in a crash with a tractor-trailer, causing the Mercedes’ driver to be ejected along I-85 North, police said in a news release. The incident shut down the interstate near Jimmy Carter Boulevard for about two hours.
Investigators believe the Mercedes was driven into the tractor-trailer, which was parked on the interstate’s shoulder due to a flat tire, the release said. After colliding with the stationary vehicle, the Mercedes was thrown back into the travel lanes, where it was struck by a semi-truck, police said.
The driver of the Mercedes, who was taken to a hospital with critical injuries, has not been identified.
While the interstate was closed for investigators, another crash took place near Pleasantdale Road, blocking three lanes, police said.
A third crash in the area had all southbound lanes of I-85 shut down at Chamblee Tucker Road in DeKalb County around the same time, the WSB 24-hour Traffic Center reported. The details of the incident are not clear. Authorities reopened the interstate about 6:45 a.m., according to the Traffic Center.
The Perimeter in DeKalb was also heavily affected by a crash later in the morning, according to DeKalb police.
All I-285 lanes at I-85 were blocked for about an hour after a multivehicle crash took place about 10 a.m., police said. Injuries were reported, but no further information has been released.
» For updated traffic information, listen to News 95.5 and AM 750 WSB and follow @ajcwsbtraffic on Twitter.
About the Authors
Asia Simone Burns is a watchdog reporter for the AJC. Burns was formerly an intern in AJC’s newsroom and now writes about crime. She is a graduate of Samford University and has previously reported for NPR and WABE, Atlanta’s NPR member station.
Zachary Hansen, a Georgia native, covers economic development and commercial real estate for the AJC. He's been with the newspaper since 2018 and enjoys diving into complex stories that affect people's lives.
