Published Monday, June 30, 2008

More than 15 injured in Saturday I-85 pile-up

The Newnan Times-Herald

More details are emerging about a multi-vehicle accident late Saturday afternoon on Interstate 85 that injured at least 15 and halted the flow of northbound traffic for more than 3.5 hours.

According to Sgt. First Class Lance Greene of the Georgia State Patrol post in Newnan, the entire incident -- which involved 13 vehicles in four separate wrecks within 200 yards of each other -- began around 4 p.m. when a single driver spun out of control after hitting a pool of standing water covering most of the interstate around mile marker 50 just south of Exit 51/SR 154/McCollum-Sharpsburg Road.

After the first driver struck the center concrete barrier wall and more vehicles hit the water, another wreck involving two cars occurred. As drivers tried to avoid these collisions, a third wave of wrecks -- this time involving five passenger vehicles and one semi truck -- began. A final four-car incident ended the pile-up, Green said.

Although report data on specific drivers and vehicles is still being collected, it is clear that there was a tractor-trailer involved and at least 15 people were injured, though that number is expected to rise. Using information collected by Trooper David Griffis, Green said three of the hurt motorists -- including someone whose spleen had to be removed, a child with a broken leg and someone with unspecified back injuries -- were air-lifted to Atlanta-area hospitals. He said all of the victims were taken to one of the following facilities: Piedmont Newnan Hospital, Grady, Atlanta Medical Center, South Fulton or Scottish Rite.

The demand for ambulances caused the county to run out of available ambulances to respond to other medical calls. Emergency dispatchers began sending out police personnel with fire department first responders to medical calls.

Green said the accident was caused by poor drainage on the roadway following Saturday's downpour. "We are still investigating," he said. "With standing water being the cause, there won't be any charges filed at this time."

More accidents occurred Sunday on Interstate 85 because of similar conditions, according to Green. "Torrential rainfall again caused standing water," he said.

He said a four-car incident involving a tractor-trailer that occurred at 7:55 p.m. around mile 48 shut down all southbound lanes for about an hour Sunday. As vehicles slowed to avoid water and slid into other drivers, the number of accidents -- 10 in all -- kept growing.

"It became so overwhelming the county began working wrecks with us," Green said.

He said the continuing rain resulted in a series of one- and two-car wrecks all along the interstate between miles 38 and 51. No one was seriously injured, he said, although four people were transported to hospitals - one an eight-month-old infant.

He said the last wreck was cleared around 11:30 p.m.

Weather stations in downtown Newnan and on Gordon Road recorded 1.25 inches of rain Sunday, and .25 inches in Newnan Saturday. There was also a report of a house fire on Walton Road in south Coweta about 9:15 during the storm Sunday night.