A three-vehicle crash shut down Interstate 85 North for more than three hours Thursday night and left one driver hospitalized with serious injuries.
The wreck happened around 9:40 p.m. on August 21 at mile marker 158, according to Georgia State Patrol Post 52 in Hartwell.
Investigators say a 2012 GMC Yukon and a 2018 Volvo tractor-trailer were traveling north in the right lane when the Yukon attempted to pass the Volvo by moving into the emergency lane. The Yukon struck the rear of a 2022 Freightliner parked on the shoulder with a blown tire.
The impact caused the Yukon to spin back into the right lane, where it was hit from behind by the Volvo. The Volvo then continued forward, striking the driver’s side of the Freightliner.
The Yukon’s driver was taken to Northeast Georgia Medical Center with serious injuries. Troopers say the drivers of the Freightliner and Volvo were not hurt.
Both northbound lanes of I-85 were closed for about three hours and 20 minutes while troopers investigated. Georgia State Patrol says the crash remains under investigation, and charges are pending.
