Officials have released limited information about an overnight wreck that claimed the life of one person on Interstate 85 in Banks County early Friday.
“On May 11 at 2:30 a.m., units from Banks County Fire/EMS responded to I-85 north at the 153 mile marker near Ga. 63, Martin Bridge Road, Commerce, on a reported vehicle accident with injuries,” said Banks County Fire/EMS Chief Steve Nichols. “Upon arrival, they found a passenger vehicle and a tractor-trailer involved in the accident. One victim, a 28-year-old male, was pronounced dead on the scene. No other injuries were reported, and the Georgia State Patrol is investigating the accident.”
According to preliminary information from Cpl. Luke Mize of GSP Post 6 in Gainesville, a vehicle was merging onto I-85 northbound from the emergency lane.
The second vehicle, a UPS tractor-trailer traveling in the right lane of I-85 northbound, merged into the left lane after seeing the first vehicle merging onto I-85.
The passenger vehicle then turned abruptly left into the path of the UPS tractor-trailer truck, according to Mize. The truck struck the passenger vehicle in the left side with its front.
After impact, both vehicles traveled off the roadway to the left and struck a guardrail before coming to an uncontrolled final rest, according to Mize.
The driver of the passenger vehicle died in the collision.
The incident was cleared at 6:30 a.m., Nichols said. One lane of northbound I-85 was closed during the incident.
