Gwinnett County authorities are investigating a fatal multi-vehicle wreck that shut down Highway 316 for several hours Sunday afternoon.
The crash happened on Highway 316 eastbound underneath the Lawrenceville Suwanee Road bridge around 3:20 p.m., Gwinnett County fire Capt. Tommy Rutledge said.
One person, identified as 39-year-old Pamela Leake, of Lawrenceville, died from her injuries. Three others were taken to an area hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, police said.
“From not only the evidence we are seeing on the scene, but from what witnesses are telling us the red Isuzu was attempting to pass traffic in the emergency lane and is what started this chain reaction accident,” said Lawrenceville Police Captain Jeff Smith.
“It's a tragedy and she shouldn’t have been out driving,” driver Daniel Dabbs told Channel 2's Rachel Stockman.
The highway reopened to traffic just after 8:30 p.m. on Sunday.