Two East Point police officers are in the hospital after being struck by a tractor-trailer on I-285 South near Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport on Wednesday morning, according to officials.
Traffic has remained jammed for miles since the early morning incident.
Police Chief Shawn Buchanan said his officers were investigating a crash near Camp Creek Parkway around 5 a.m. when the truck slammed into them.
There were “three police vehicles with blue lights. You can see that from two miles away at five o’clock in the morning,” he told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
One officer was inside his vehicle when the truck hit it. Another officer was standing outside and was hit by the cruiser after the truck crashed into it, Buchanan said. The third officer was uninjured, but all three cruisers were totaled.
Both injured officers were taken to Grady Memorial Hospital, but Buchanan did not know the status of their injuries. He was on his way to the hospital when reached by the AJC.
“I thank God they’re alive,” he said.
At the crash site, at least two police cruisers could be seen with their hoods popped open and one had its back-end crumpled. A trail of debris was scattered behind the big rig.
With no progress in clearing the scene, traffic remains backed up for miles as of 9 a.m. To avoid the jam, commuters should use I-75 or I-85 or U.S. 29 as alternates, according to the WSB 24-hour Traffic Center.
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