The I-75 express lanes in Henry County were shut down for hours Friday due to a wrong-way driver who went through nine barriers before a head-on crash.
Officers were called to the scene of the wreck, near mile marker 226 in Stockbridge, about 6:15 a.m., Henry County police spokesman Sgt. John Davis said.
JUST IN: New images I just got from GDOT of wrong way crash caused by suspected drunk driver on South Express Lanes this morning in Henry County. Three drivers, including one that caused crash, remain in hospital . pic.twitter.com/oCM3Z13Sok
— Tom Regan (@tomreganWSB) October 26, 2018
The driver of a small sedan was trying to head southbound when the reversible lanes were flowing north for the morning commute and crashed head-on into another vehicle, according to police. That vehicle was then hit from behind by a third northbound vehicle.
Davis said preliminary findings suggest the driver of the sedan may have been intoxicated. However, that has not been confirmed.
The sedan went through eight warning stop arms and one large metal barrier gate before entering wrong-way traffic, according to the Georgia Department of Transportation.
GDOT: Wrong-way driver crashed into 9 barriers before I-75 express lanes wreck - https://t.co/NQkSKhQCCf - #HenryCounty #Atlanta pic.twitter.com/i06TgOgrDE
— John Spink (@johnjspink) October 26, 2018
All three drivers were taken to area hospitals for treatment. The extent of their injuries was not known Friday evening.
No identities have been released.
At one point, the crash blocked the express lanes and one left lane on both sides of I-75 at the I-675 interchange. Delays stretched as far back as Bill Gardner Parkway in Locust Grove, and southbound traffic was stacked up for miles before the wreck.
GDOT crews spent most of the day making repairs to the damaged gates and didn’t reopen the lanes for southbound travel until almost 8 p.m.
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