CUMMING  — A three-vehicle wreck during the Tuesday evening commute sent three people to North Fulton Hospital with what authorities described as critical injuries and shut down Ronald Reagan Boulevard at Pendley Road for more than two hours.

The collision occurred about 5 p.m. Authorities said a Ford pickup traveling north on Ronald Reagan rear-ended a BMW at the traffic light at Pendley, pushing it into a Nissan passenger car, which also was stopped.  

The Nissan traveled completely through the intersection, which is southeast of Cumming, but the impact left the pickup imbedded in the BMW.  

Locked together, the pickup and BMW skidded into the crossing and slid sideways before stopping. All three occupants of the BMW were trapped inside it, authorities said.

After they were freed by firefighters using hydraulic rescue tools, all three were taken by ambulance to North Fulton Hospital.  

The pickup truck driver was not hurt and the condition of the driver of the Nissan was not immediately available.  

The Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office is handling the investigation.  

Ronald Reagan did not fully reopen until about 7:30 p.m.