1 Killed In 3-Car Crash That Shut Down I-285 For Hours

DEKALB COUNTY, GA — DeKalb police said one person was killed and another was injured in a three-car crash on Interstate 285 early Thursday morning, which shut down the interstate for about four hours and left extreme delays through morning commute times.

DeKalb County Police Department officers investigated the accident around 2:45 a.m. Thursday on I-285 near Flat Shoals Parkway, and closed a portion of the interstate until just after 7 a.m. The primary investigation showed the accident was caused by an unnamed adult female driver, who was driving on the interstate against the flow of traffic.

The female driver hit another car, which caused it to hit a third car. Police said the driver of the second vehicle, 31-year-old Kevin Fitzpatrick, died from his injuries in the crash. No information has been released on the condition of the third driver, and no other names have been released either.

The female driver was taken to a local hospital in critical condition. She is expected to be charged with reckless driving and felony vehicular homicide, DeKalb police said.

"Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Fitzpatrick family," DeKalb police said in a statement.

I-285 at Flat Shoals reopened around 7:10 a.m. Thursday.