Basil Eleby, once accused in I-85 overpass collapse, reaches major milestone
DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. - The man who was once accused of setting a fire that brought down an entire section of the Interstate 85 viaduct is marking another major milestone on his long road to recovery on Friday.
Basil Eleby has worked hard to be free of drugs and alcohol for more than two years. It is a second chance at life. He sat down with FOX 5’s Portia Bruner Thursday afternoon to discuss his progress in his own words.
The 42-year-old will graduate from a court-supervised diversion program he entered to get clean and clear his record following the March 2017 inferno which brought down entire sections of I-85 in Buckhead and left metro Atlanta to find alternate routes for months.
MAN CHARGED IN I-85 BRIDGE COLLAPSE APPEARS IN COURT
Atlanta police initially charged him with arson saying his drug usage and paraphernalia under the I-85 bridge ignited debris that turned into a raging inferno. Eleby maintained his innocence as attorneys from the Davis Bozeman Law Firm pushed for the deal reached in 2018.
Eleby started working for the DeKalb County firm to gain job skills and meet diversion program requirements.
2 YEARS SINCE THE ATLANTA I-85 OVERPASS COLLAPSE
On March 2, he starts his first full-time job in warehouse packaging in Fulton County, grateful for second chances and strong support from the community.
The job Eleby starts Monday is far from his home, so he's been practicing his two-hour ride on public transportation. His friends are trying to raise money to help him buy his first car.
I-85 ARSON SUSPECT CASE TRANSFERRED TO BEHAVIOR HEALTH COURT
They have set up a GoFundMe account. Anyone willing to donate can go to https://www.gofundme.com/f/basil-eleby-support