A ladder that was laying in one of the northbound lanes of Interstate 85 caused an accident that ensnared six vehicles, sent people to the hospital and caused the interstate to be shut down for more than an hour Wednesday afternoon, according to Gwinnett police.
Police said a vehicle hit the ladder shortly after 3 p.m. and swerved into the path of other vehicles as the driver lost control near Beaver Ruin Road. The other vehicles whose path the first vehicle swerved into tried to stop but were rear-ended by other vehicles.
“Multiple people were transported to the hospital, one with serious injuries,” Cpl. Collin Flynn said.
A police report states that four of the vehicles, including a tractor-trailer, were in the same lane. The tractor-trailer was at the back of that group. It hit the diesel tank of a second tractor-trailer that was traveling in an adjacent lane. The tank did not explode.
The second tractor-trailer then hit the first vehicle, which was the one that had previously hit the ladder.
It was not clear where the ladder had come from.
The accident is currently under investigation. Anyone who has information about the accident is asked to call detectives at 770-513-5300 or Crime Stoppers at 404-577-8477. They can also visit www.stopcrimeATL.com. There is a cash reward offered by Crime Stoppers for information that leads to an arrest and indictment. Tipsters are asked to reference case No. 20-026132.
