Part of Interstate 75 in Gordon County was shut down for an hour Sunday afternoon following a two-vehicle wreck that left one person in critical condition and another seriously injured.

According to Cadet Thomas Burkett, with the Georgia State Patrol in Calhoun:

Troopers had not identified the two people injured in the wreck as of late Sunday night. Both of were taken to Erlanger Medical Center in Chattanooga, Tenn. — one by air. The wreck happened around noon in the southbound lanes of I-75, a few yards from Exit 312 near the Prime Outlets in Calhoun.

Burkett said the lug on the back wheel of a passenger van from Michigan apparently broke off and caused the van to swerve into a lane occupied by a Ford Explorer.

“We can’t tell right now, but we think the guy had main-tenance work done on his van yesterday, and they didn’t tighten his wheel,” said Burkett.

Traffic was stalled as the right lane of the highway was shut down while the wreck was cleared.

Rome News Tribune