Wrong-way crash leaves 2 hospitalized

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga.,None — A wrong-way crash on Interstate 85 in DeKalb County left two drivers hospitalized early Thursday, according to DeKalb police.

DeKalb County police said a 21-year-old man was driving a Buick Regal north on the interstate's southbound lanes. Around 2 a.m., 911 calls began coming in. Callers said he was "traveling in the middle lane at high speed" for several miles, DeKalb police Lt. David Covington said.

Near the Clairmont Road exit, the driver crashed into a 19-year-old woman driving a Ford Focus.

"Fire rescue responded and had to cut her out of the vehicle," Covington told Channel 2's Amanda Cook.

Both drivers were taken to Grady Hospital. Police said they were in serious but stable condition.

Covington said police are looking into possible charges in the crash.

"We suspect this was alcohol-related on the 21-year-old male driver," he said.

But the crash could have been worse.

"Because they hit off-center, that allowed the cars to rotate off and minimize injuries. Had they hit straight on, most likely it would have been fatal injuries," Covington said.

WSBTV