Two people had to be rescued after they were trapped in a tractor-trailer that overturned early Thursday on the I-285 westbound ramp to I-75 southbound in Clayton County, officials said.

The men were identified as Jimmy Simmons Jr., 59, and Alonzo Holmes, 58, both of Plant City, Fla., said Sgt. Ashanti Marbury of Clayton County police.

About 6:20 a.m., Simmons, the driver, was trying to negotiate the curve from I-285 to I-75 when the truck had a mechanical malfunction, causing him to lose control, Marbury said. The truck struck the guardrail and veered off the ramp.

After about 40 minutes, Clayton fire crews freed Simmons from the wreck, Marbury said. Holmes was freed after slightly more than three hours. Both are in serious condition at area hospitals.

Traffic delays were heavy in the area for several hours after the crash. Lanes reopened shortly after noon.

About the Author

Keep Reading

A bus waits to move over 20 unhoused persons from the Old Wheat Street encampment to the Welcome House, Thursday, July 10, 2025. (Ben Hendren for the AJC)

Credit: Ben Hendren

Featured

Rebecca Ramage-Tuttle, assistant director of the Statewide Independent Living Council of Georgia, says the the DOE rule change is “a slippery slope” for civil rights. (Hyosub Shin/AJC)

Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC