Community Corner
Woman Ejected from SUV During Fatal Wreck on I-85
The SUV swerved to avoid a tractor trailer truck, struck the side of a box truck and hit the steep hill between the highway and the Steve Reynolds on-ramp.
Updated: 5:50 p.m.
A woman was killed in an accident Monday afternoon on southbound Interstate 85 near Steve Reynolds Boulevard, according to a report from Gwinnett Police.
This is an area in unincorporated Duluth.
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The woman, whose identity hasn’t been released, was ejected from a Nissan Pathfinder that tried to avoid a collision with a tractor trailer truck and flipped multiple times before coming to rest on the Steve Reynolds on-ramp, according to police spokesman Cpl. Jake Smith.
The driver of the tractor trailer did not stop at the scene, Smith said, but was tracked down later.
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Smith said the woman was ejected from the front passenger seat. A man who was driving and two children inside the SUV survived, Smith said. Their identities have not been released.
The children were taken to Children's Hospital at Egelston in Atlanta. The man rode with the children to the hospital, Smith said. Their condition is not available, but Smith said they are expected to survive.
The accident happened around 1:20 p.m. Monday, July 8.
Smith emailed this account of the accident:
“A tractor trailer was traveling south on I 85 South; in the lane to the right of the tractor trailer was a Nissan Pathfinder; in the lane to the right of the Pathfinder was a large box truck. The tractor trailer changed lanes to the right, forcing the Pathfinder out of its lane and into the side of the box truck. After striking the box truck, the Pathfinder traveled to the right side of the highway and left the road at a significant speed.”
From there, the SUV struck the hill between the interstate and the on-ramp, flipped over the guard rail and came to rest on the on-ramp, according to police.
Smith said Accident Investigation Unit officers have interviewed the truck driver, who was located at his destination in Cobb County. “The driver of the tractor trailer is with officers at this time, but is not under arrest,” Smith said in a media release around 5:11 p.m. The investigation continues.
The driver of the box truck was not injured. He stopped at the scene and has cooperated with police, Smith said.
The identities of the truck drivers also have not been released.
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