Three die crossing freeway in Atlanta

CHAMBLEE, Ga. — Three men who scaled a median and tried to cross lanes of a metro Atlanta freeway were struck and killed by a pickup early Tuesday, snarling traffic and puzzling police, who said they were unsure why the group made the risky move.

Moments after the 5 a.m. local-time crash, two bodies could be seen on the pavement in the southbound lane of Interstate 85 just northeast of Atlanta. Commuters drove slowly past flashing lights, and all southbound lanes were closed for nearly two hours during the busy morning rush.

The men had entered the freeway from its eastern side, crossed about a half-dozen northbound lanes, then scaled the median wall that separates northbound and southbound traffic, DeKalb County police spokesman Mekka Parish said. They were then struck as they tried to make it across all of the southbound lanes, she said.

The driver of the pickup stopped and remained at the scene, and no charges had been filed by late Tuesday morning. The identities of the three men hadn’t been released.

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