Atlanta Rush Hour Snarled for Hours After Tractor-Trailer Hits Median on I-285, Strikes Vehicle in Opposite Lanes, and Leaks Fuel Across Interstate
ATLANTA, GEORGIA — A tractor-trailer crash on Interstate 285 near MLK Jr. Drive brought Atlanta rush-hour traffic to a standstill Monday morning, causing hours of delays in both directions after the truck struck the median and collided with a vehicle in the southbound lanes, leaking fuel onto the roadway.
The crash prompted Georgia Department of Transportation crews to temporarily shut down the highway to remove the truck and contain a fuel spill that had spread across the interstate. Crews spent hours working to clean up the oil before lanes could be reopened. By 11:10 a.m., all northbound lanes and two right southbound lanes had reopened, though traffic remained slow-moving well into the afternoon.
The tractor-trailer had been traveling northbound when it struck the median, causing it to collide with a vehicle in the southbound lanes. It remains unclear whether any injuries were sustained in the crash.
GDOT advised motorists to avoid the area and seek alternate routes during the cleanup.
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