COBB COUNTY, Ga. — Two people are dead after a crash on Interstate 75 northbound in Acworth, which shut down lanes for hours.
All lanes have reopened at the site, although emergency vehicles are still there and traffic continues to move slowly.
The crash happened around 8:45 a.m. near the Wade Green Road and Hickory Grove Road exits. NewsChopper 2 flew over the scene and saw a Papa Johns semi truck overturned.
Investigators with the department’s STEP Unit say the crash involved three vehicles, including two tractor-trailers and a pickup truck pulling a flatbed trailer.
Police say a red 2023 Freightliner Cascadia tractor-trailer was traveling north in the right lane when the driver failed to maintain his lane and struck another Freightliner traveling beside it.
Authorities say the impact caused a chain-reaction crash. The first truck then moved back toward the right lane, while a Ram 3500 pickup behind it crashed into the rear of its trailer.
The pickup was forced across multiple lanes of traffic, while the tractor-trailer continued to lose control, eventually overturning and crashing into a sound barrier wall along the shoulder.
The driver of the overturned truck, 28-year-old Zory Beavers of Conyers, and a passenger, 42-year-old Royan Osborne of Norcross, were both pronounced dead at the scene.
The other drivers involved were not injured, according to police.
Channel 2 Cobb County Bureau Chief Michele Newell spoke with neighbors whose homes were close to the crash.
“I felt it tremble actually through the house, that’s how I knew something big happened,” neighbor Daniel Martinez said. “The tractor-trailer actually flipped and hit the retaining wall.”
Martinez showed Newell just how close it was to his house.
“You could definitely see the tractor-trailer there; you can see all the damage, all the rubble from the retaining wall,” Martinez said.
Triple Team Traffic says traffic was being diverted at the Wade Green Road exit. Drivers can take Hwy 41 or Hwy 92 as alternates.
A Papa Johns spokesperson said in a statement that the safety of team members and the communities they serve is a top priority:
“We are actively cooperating with local authorities as they work to determine the circumstances of the incident and assess any impact. Our thoughts are with all those who may be affected, and we will continue to support the investigation as it moves forward.
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