A truck following too closely set off a chain-reaction crash that closed northbound lanes in Jackson County for more than three hours Monday.
JACKSON COUNTY, Ga. — One person is dead and another is fighting for their life after a five-vehicle crash on Interstate 85 in Jackson County on Monday afternoon.
The wreck shut down all northbound lanes of I-85 near Hwy. 129 for more than three hours, reopening just before 8:30 p.m. Georgia State Patrol told Channel 2 Action News that an International 4300 truck was following too closely and slammed into a Toyota Corolla, pushing it into the median wall. The truck then struck a Nissan Altima, which in turn crashed into a Chevrolet Trax and a Ford F-150.
The drivers of the Corolla and the Altima were rushed to Northeast Georgia Medical Center. The driver of the Corolla was pronounced dead, and the driver of the Altima suffered critical injuries. The Chevrolet and the Ford sustained only minor damage.
The truck driver was arrested and charged with vehicular homicide and following too closely. Investigators had initially identified the truck as a Penske vehicle but later determined that was not accurate.
The identities of the drivers involved have not been released. The investigation remains ongoing.
