COBB COUNTY, Ga. — Traffic is moving again on I-75 Thursday evening after more than a dozen vehicles were involved in a fiery, deadly crash on Interstate 75 this morning.
The crash happened around 11:15 a.m. in the northbound lanes of the interstate north of Barrett Parkway. Police said one person, who has not been identified, was killed. Remarkably, only one other person was taken to the hospital.
[WATCH: Live traffic conditions here]
Channel 2′s Tom Regan was at the scene all day and spoke to drivers who witnessed the crash, and some who were even victims themselves.
We received this video of the fiery crash on I-75 in Cobb County. Police say at least 1 person is dead -- here's the latest: https://t.co/H27X3nfkHH pic.twitter.com/QFgQD74Nd7
— WSB-TV (@wsbtv) February 11, 2021
The driver told Regan said there was heavy rain and nearly white-out conditions at the time of the crash.
“You could only see about forty yards in front of you,” truck driver Chris Hill said. “The truck to my right got rear-ended, broke the axles, destroyed it. Luckily, I didn’t get tangled up in that.”
Hill said a white box van caught on fire. The flames spread to a truck and then to an 18-wheeler. Hill said it was one of the worst crashes he’s ever seen.
“Right before that people were running up to the fire and I was yelling to them tp get back,” Hill said. “Everyone around me was pretty mangled, but luckily I got out OK.”
Billy Jay wasn’t so lucky. He said a tractor-trailer jack-knifed 100 feet head of him and he crashed into another car trying to avoid it.
“It pushed us over into a tractor-trailer and a guy hit us from behind and the fire started,” Jay said. “It was chaos. (My van was) burned to a crisp.”
The interstate was closed for hours as authorities investigated the crash.
**Update**
— Cobb County Police (@cobbpolice1) February 11, 2021
I-75 NB will likely be shut down for another 6+ hours as Cobb Police and @cobbcountyfire and additional resources work to investigate and clear the scene. @WSBTraffic @wsbtv @ajcwsbtraffic @ajc @11AliveNews @FOX5Atlanta @cbs46 @mdjonline @KennesawPatch https://t.co/HPQvDhRVTG
**Update**
— Cobb County Police (@cobbpolice1) February 11, 2021
This is a fatal vehicle crash with more than a dozen vehicles involved. The location is I-75 NB north of Barrett Pkwy. All NB lanes shut down. @ajcwsbtraffic @ajc @wsbtv @WSBTraffic @FOX5Atlanta @11AliveNews @cbs46 @mdjonline @KennesawPatch https://t.co/N4V9WGFf6k
**Traffic Alert**
— Cobb County Police (@cobbpolice1) February 11, 2021
I-75 NB near Wade Green Rd is shut down due to multi-vehicle accident involving a tractor-trailer. @ajcwsbtraffic @ajc @wsbtv @WSBTraffic @FOX5Atlanta @11AliveNews @cbs46 @mdjonline @KennesawPatch
Heads Up! This is I-75/nb at Chastain Rd. (exit 271) All lanes are shut down with this fiery multi-vehicle crash. Please avoid. Use Hwy 41 into Kennesaw @wsbradio @wsbtv @kiss1041fm #ATLTraffic pic.twitter.com/642jfEmVHB
— Veronica HarrellWSB🎙 (@VeronicaHarrell) February 11, 2021
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