A collision involving two tractor-trailers near mile marker 125 in Morgan County during the early morning hours of Sept. 1 caused major traffic delays for motorists traveling toward Atlanta on I-20 through Greene and Morgan counties.
According to Cindy Williams of Morgan County Fire and Rescue, a flatbed tractor-trailer struck an object on the interstate, disabling the truck and leaving the driver stranded in the roadway without lights at about 5 a.m. Another tractor-trailer, unable to see the disabled truck, approached and crashed into it.
Personnel from Stations 4, 14, and 16 were dispatched to the scene and advised that one driver needed extrication from the more heavily damaged truck, which was also leaking diesel fuel. The driver of the flatbed had gotten out of his truck before the collision occurred.
EMS personnel arrived to evaluate the driver after extrication, and he requested medical attention.
The flatbed truck was found in the woodline, while the second truck was lying sideways in the roadway with heavy damage to the cab and trailer.
The cargo from both trucks — sweet potatoes and plywood, respectively — was scattered across both lanes. Engine 16 used the emergency lane to approach the scene and address the diesel leak.
Units from the Georgia Department of Transportation were dispatched to clear the roadway. An articulating loader reopened one lane by pushing the box trailer to the side of the road.
Greene County eventually closed the entrance to I-20 at milepost 130, and witnesses said traffic backed up for miles and remained congested well into the afternoon.