Fiery Crash Kills 2 on I-85 Near Atlanta

Two people died Saturday morning in a fiery crash on Interstate 85 in suburban Atlanta, according to Gwinnett County police.
Published: 2/1/2020, 5:30:32 PM EST
Fiery Crash Kills 2 on I-85 Near Atlanta
Police tape in a file photo. (David von Diemar/Unsplash)

Two people died Saturday morning in a fiery crash on Interstate 85 in suburban Atlanta, according to Gwinnett County police.

Crews arrived just before 8 a.m. to find multiple vehicles involved and a tanker truck and passenger vehicle fully engulfed in flames.

According to a police news release, an unidentified liquid leaked from the tanker, caught on fire, and spread through a storm drain, resulting in multiple fires across the interstate.

The fires have since been extinguished. The wreck and fires, which happened in the northbound lanes of I-85 at Jimmy Carter Boulevard, shut down those lanes into the afternoon, police said. Traffic was being diverted.

Police have not reported what caused the accident or released details on the two people killed, pending notification of family members.

Other wrecks on I-85 in Atlanta have created traffic nightmares. In May 2017, an elevated section of northbound Interstate 85 caught fire and collapsed. That section of the roadway was closed until repairs were made and the highway reopened in June 2017.
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