5 dead, 3 hurt in Labor Day crash near Atlanta

Sept. 4 (UPI) -- Five people were killed Monday in an early morning crash that injured three others on Georgia's Interstate 85, about 23 miles northeast of downtown Atlanta.

Gwinnett County Police said the deadly crash, which occurred shortly before 4 a.m. in the Duluth area, initially involved two cars with one vehicle going over the wall of the raised University Parkway westbound ramp and falling "roughly 50-feet" onto I-85 southbound, where it hit a third car.

"Gwinnett County Fire Personnel identified 5 persons deceased at the scene. Three additional persons were transported to local hospitals," police said in a statement.

Gwinnett Police public information officer Christian D'Allaird said he could not confirm if all five deaths were passengers in the vehicle that went over the wall. There is currently no word on the condition of those injured.

I-85 is a major interstate that connects Atlanta with Charlotte, N.C.

GCPD Investigators, who shut down I-85 and the ramps for several hours, are still looking into the cause of the collision. They have asked anyone who witnessed the crash to contact them.