Underage impaired driver responsible for Downtown Connector crash, GSP says

ATLANTA - A crash involving multiple vehicles shut down all southbound lanes of Interstate 75/85 in Midtown Atlanta for hours early Friday morning.

Officials say the crash happened around 3:20 a.m. on the Downtown Connector near the exit to North Avenue. The interstate has since been reopened.

What we know:

Two vehicles were involved in the crash. The conditions of the drivers are not known at this time.

All southbound lanes were closed between exits 250 and 249D as crews worked to remove the vehicles and clean up the scene. 

Traffic that was stuck on the interstate had been rerouted through the entrance ramp from 10th Street, causing massive gridlock that stretched back to other exits.

Shortly before 7 a.m., the road reopened.

The backstory:

According to Georgia State Patrol, a GSP Nighthawks North trooper was traveling south on I-75/I-85 when he saw a black 2012 Mercedes-Benz traveling north in the southbound HOV lane. By the time the trooper caught up to the driver, the Mercedes had been involved in a crash with another vehicle.

Due to the severity of the crash, the GSP Specialized Collision Reconstruction Team arrived at the scene to assist with the investigation.

The trooper performed a DUI test and determined the driver to be under the influence. That driver was identified as 20-year-old Addison Thornton from O'Fallon, Missouri. Thornton was charged with driving under the influence, driving on wrong side of roadway, possession of fraudulent driver's license, serious injury by motor vehicle, and under-age consumption.

GSP also identified a 17-year-old passenger in the Mercedes from Washington, Missouri. She was transported to a hospital with serious injuries. 

The other vehicle – a 2018 Buick Encore – was driven by a 30-year-old from Kennesaw. A 28-year-old Kennesaw resident was a passenger. They were both transported to Grady Memorial Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. 

What we don't know:

It is not known how badly the Kennesaw residents were injured.