Also
In an unrelated incident a short time after the crash Wednesday, a garbage truck turning left onto Ga. 400 from Hwy. 20 east dumped hydraulic fluid for about 200 yards up the entrance ramp.
The ensuing cleanup further disrupted traffic in both directions along the highway.
-- Jim Dean
CUMMING — Authorities encouraged motorists to avoid the area of Hwy. 20 and Market Place Boulevard on Wednesday afternoon following a four-vehicle wreck that has disrupted traffic and knocked out power along the busy retail corridor.
According to the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office, the situation began about 2:40 p.m. with a crash near the intersection, which is just east of Ga. 400 at Exit 14.
An eastbound Honda CRV reportedly rear-ended a pickup truck and then crossed the grass median into oncoming traffic, authorities said. It then traveled off the road and into the parking lot of Steak ’n Shake.
“At the speed the vehicle was going, they landed on two vehicles before sliding into the parking lot and coming to a stop,” said Robin Regan, a spokesman for the sheriff’s office.
During its journey, the Honda struck and broke a guy wire, which flipped up and wrapped around the high-voltage wires at the top of a power pole. The ensuing short circuit knocked out power to many businesses in the area.
Regan said sheriff’s office personnel directed traffic at Buford Highway and Market Place while Sawnee EMC worked to restore power service to the area.
“I don’t know the specifics of how many are without power, but several of the businesses all the way down to the Walmart [on Market Place] are without power as well as traffic lights,” Regan said at the time of the outage.
Under normal circumstances, traffic is thick in that area. The crash and power outage have only aggravated the afternoon commute.
“There are delays in all areas due to the traffic lights being out,” Regan said. “We’ve got deputies at intersections directing traffic.”
According to Regan, the driver suffered what appeared to be minor injuries. The vehicles in the parking lot were not occupied.
The crash was the second in four months that ended with a vehicle landing in the parking lot of Steak ’n Shake.
In a November incident, authorities said a 59-year-old driver of a Dodge Ram pickup truck had a seizure right before running a red light on Sanders Road at the highway.
The truck crossed all four lanes of traffic, toppled two trees and struck a raised median before ramming a parked, unattended car on full throttle.
Authorities marveled that the driver suffered only some abrasions and bruises and that no one else was hurt in the accident, which occurred on a Saturday morning.
Online Editor Jim Dean contributed to this report.