Seven people were killed in a fiery crash that closed I-85 North near Commerce for several hours late Monday, according to the Georgia State Patrol.
The chain-reaction crash involving six vehicles happened shortly after 4 p.m. in Jackson County just south of Exit 147, investigators said. That area is about 20 miles north of Athens and is the exit for the Love’s Travel Stop, which is just a few miles from the Tanger Outlets in Commerce.
Investigators believe a tractor-trailer struck the back of a Dodge van, causing the van to go up in flames, the state patrol said. All seven occupants of the van died at the scene. Their names were not released late Monday.
The crash closed I-85 for several hours, according to the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office. Lanes started to reopen shortly after 8 p.m.
One of the vehicles involved in the crash was another van transporting 37 cats to a shelter in Vermont, according to Furkids Animal Rescue and Shelters based in metro Atlanta. The van’s driver was injured, the rescue group said.
“We are devastated for the families affected, and our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with them,” the group said in a Facebook post. “In the chaos of the wreckage, cages were crushed, and cats began to flee.”
Credit: Furkids Animal Rescue and Shelters
Credit: Furkids Animal Rescue and Shelters
The rescue said 32 cats were being assessed for injuries and five remained missing late Monday.
The deadly crash remains under investigation, the state patrol said.
— Please return to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution for updates.
About the Author
Keep Reading
The Latest
Featured
