ATLANTA — Hours after a fiery accident scene was cleared on I-285, Atlanta Police were still working to determine if anyone died due to just how extensive the fire damage was.
However, on Sunday, the department confirmed to 11Alive that one victim had died.
In a statement released on Saturday afternoon, Atlanta Police laid out the initial details of what led up to a tractor-trailer load in flames around 11 p.m. the previous night. Videos from the Georgia Department of Transportation cameras showed the massive fire spreading from the back of the tractor-trailer which burned for some time on Friday.
Police said a car had attempted to exit the interstate at Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway but then tried to re-enter the highway and lost control, crashing underneath the tractor-trailer. The trailer then dragged the vehicle several yards.
When police arrived, the tractor-trailer was completely engulfed in flames. And while police called it a "traffic fatality investigation" they initially couldn't confirm that anyone had died.
However, the Atlanta Police Accident Investigations Unit later determined that one male victim, whose name was not released, had died in the accident. Police said the victim's name is not yet being released.
In the meantime, police caution that details could change as more information comes to light.