The Thursday morning crash that claimed three lives and brought traffic to a standstill on Interstate 75 near Dalton was the result of a driver heading the wrong direction on the highway, according to the Whitfield County Sheriff’s Office.
Local 3 News reported the incident occurred after a driver was observed weaving in traffic and speeding, with deputies believing the driver to be impaired. Deputies attempted to stop the driver, but the driver instead made a U-turn on I-75, traveling northward in the southbound lanes before striking a semitrailer. A third vehicle was also involved in the crash, the Sheriff’s Office said.
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Authorities said that all three people killed in the collision were in the vehicle that deputies attempted to stop.
All southbound traffic on I-75 was diverted to Highway 41, according to a Facebook video posted about 11:30 a.m. Thursday by the Whitfield County Sheriff’s Office. All lanes were reported to be open again at 2:09 p.m.
— Compiled by Ignacio Perez