Driver sought in crash that injured 3, shut down I-285 for hours
Authorities are searching for a driver who hit three people stopped on I-285 after a fiery crash in Sandy Springs on Wednesday morning.
Two vehicles were involved in the initial crash in the eastbound lanes near New Northside Drive around 2 a.m., Sandy Springs police said. A third driver in a tractor-trailer had stopped to help and extinguish the flames when all three people were hit by a blue Ford Mustang.
“The Mustang then left the scene with heavy front-end damage,” Sandy Springs police Sgt. Sam Worsham said.
The victims were taken to area hospitals.
Ray Redding, a supervisor at Florida Rock and Tank lines, told Channel 2 Action News the truck driver was OK and was released from the hospital a few hours later.
GRIDLOCK ALERT: Fulton Co.; Crash Investigation: I-285/eb (inner loop) at Northside Dr. (exit 22) Two Left Lanes are Now Open. Heavy Delays. Use I-75 out of Cobb or 400/nb or surface streets https://t.co/j2xHL1ZFrc #ATLTraffic pic.twitter.com/UeD505NDtw
— AJC WSB Traffic (@ajcwsbtraffic) April 17, 2019
Another victim, Jeannie Smithwick, was still unconscious at Grady Memorial Hospital on Wednesday afternoon, her friends told the news station.
They said Smithwick, who works at a Brookhaven gastropub, is suffering from a head injury, a broken arm and a broken leg.
Jeannie Smithwick is one of three people hit by a car today on I-285, following a fiery crash. Police say the blue Mustang took off. Friends here at Grady Health say she’s in the ICU. pic.twitter.com/7KuDXjvp3c
— Rikki Klaus (@RikkiKlausWSB) April 17, 2019
“She’s an amazing person. She loves her family, her friends. Everybody loves her,” said Ryan Harrison, who stopped by Grady’s Intensive Care Unit with his girlfriend to see their friend. “Anybody that’s gonna hit three people and just leave the scene of an accident, that’s scum of the earth.”
The condition of the third victim was not known Wednesday afternoon.
UPDATE:I just got off phone with supervisor at Florida Rock&Tank.He says his driver was one of three people hit on 285 E around 2am. He says there was an accident on the interstate and one car had caught fire. His truck driver stopped to help. All 3 were then hit by another car. pic.twitter.com/0j0yxR9UGd
— Christian Jennings (@CJenningsWSB) April 17, 2019
Authorities shut down the eastbound lanes of the interstate for more than four hours while they investigated. All lanes were reopened by 6:30 a.m., but hefty delays continued through much of the morning drive in Fulton and Cobb counties.
Sandy Springs police are asking anyone with information about the driver of the Ford Mustang to contact the department at 770-551-6900 or call 911.
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