I-85 reopens after fatal truck wreck

All northbound lanes on I-85 in Spaghetti Junction have reopened after a fatal wreck involving two tractor-trailers that snarled traffic during Wednesday morning’s commute.

However, the I-285 north ramp to I-85 remains blocked due to cleaning, according to the Georgia Department of Transportation.

According to investigators on the scene, the driver of a tractor-trailer that was coming off the ramp from I-285 onto I-85 northbound lost control. The trailer of that truck was struck by the cab of another truck that was already northbound on I-85, splitting the trailer of the ramping truck in half and killing the unidentified driver of the truck that was already on I-85, authorities said.

“We knew that we were not going to be able to disentangle the decedent here on the scene so that part of the cab is being packaged and transported to the DeKalb County Medical Examiner’s Office,” Capt. Eric Jackson with DeKalb Fire Rescue told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

The driver of the ramping truck was taken to a local trauma center with minor injuries, Jackson said.
The impact of the crash also resulted in a “significant diesel” spill that DeKalb Hazmat crews were able to mitigate, Jackson said.
GDOT suggested that motorists trying to transition from I-285 north to I-85 north take the access ramp to Pleasantdale Road.

Mark Arum in the AM750 and 95.5FM News/Talk WSB Traffic Center suggested Buford Highway and Peachtree Industrial Boulevard as alternate routes northbound into Gwinnett County.