1 killed in wrong-way crash on Downtown Connector

One person was killed Friday morning after witnesses said an SUV turned around and began driving the wrong way on the Downtown Connector.

The witnesses told police the Mercedes-Benz SUV was traveling the proper direction in the southbound lanes but made a U-turn, resulting in a head-on collision, according to an Atlanta police spokesman.

The crash occurred north of University Avenue about 1:30 a.m. The southbound lanes were shut down for more than four hours while authorities investigated and did not reopen until just before 6 a.m., the WSB 24-hour Traffic Center reported.

According to police, the Mercedes collided with a Hyundai Sonata. The driver of the sedan was dead at the scene, the spokesman said.

The driver of the Mercedes, described by police as a man in his 20s, was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital with two broken legs. He was in critical condition Friday morning.

The incident is the second to involve a wrong-way driver on the Downtown Connector this week. On Sunday, both drivers involved in a head-on collision near University Avenue were killed.