A serious multivehicle crash shut down the eastbound lanes of I-285 in College Park and caused hours of tough delays Wednesday morning.
Authorities closed the lanes at Riverdale Road just before 6 a.m. to investigate, according to the WSB 24-hour Traffic Center. The interstate did not begin reopening until about 9 a.m., and the investigation was cleared by 10:30 a.m.
During the hourslong shutdown, outer loop traffic was being forced off the interstate at Riverdale Road. Heavy delays stretched back to the I-85 interchange in Fulton County, the Traffic Center reported.
Crash Investigation has Cleared on I-285/eb (Outer Loop) at Riverdale Rd. (exit 60) all lanes are now open delay free https://t.co/j2xHL1ZFrc #ATLtraffic pic.twitter.com/ZQ3DLPOeOf
— AJC WSB Traffic (@ajcwsbtraffic) May 20, 2020
College Park police are leading the investigation. They have not released any details about the crash.
Jamekia Hines said she was attempting to take the exit to Riverdale Road when she was sideswiped by a man in a red sedan. It set off a chain-reaction collision that involved several other vehicles, including a tractor-trailer.
“He ended up in the middle of the expressway,” she said of the sedan’s driver. “He got hit by a truck, a regular pickup truck first. That truck rolled off, then an 18-wheeler hit him and several other cars hit him, too.”
Hines was told the sedan’s driver did not survive the crash, she told AJC.com from the scene. Authorities have not verified the crash was fatal.
“When he got hit by the 18-wheeler, I knew he was gone,” she said.
— Please return to AJC.com for updates.
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