A Spelman student has been charged for a wrong-way DUI crash that closed a major Interstate in Atlanta.
In the early hours on Mar. 7, Addison Thornton was driving north on a southbound HOV lane on 1-75/I-85 in downtown Atlanta. While a state trooper tried to stop Thornton, the 20-year-old crashed her 2012 Mercedes-Benz into a 2018 Buick Encore.
After police arrived to the crash, Thornton failed a DUI test. The troopers also confirmed she had driven with a fake driver’s license. According to Fox 5,
the collision also led to all southbound lanes for the interstate to close for several hours.The Buick’s 30-year-old driver and their 28-year-old passenger, both residents of Kennesaw, Georgia, were taken to Grady Memorial Hospital with non-life threatening conditions. However, a 17-year-old passenger in Thornton’s car was hospitalized with serious injuries.
Now, Thornton faces multiple charges regarding the crash, including driving under the influence
, driving on the wrong side of the roadway, and serious injury by motor vehicle, in addition to underage consumption and possession of a fraudulent driver’s license.Further investigation confirmed that Thornton and her passenger attended the all-women’s HBCU. Spelman released a statement on the matter, sharing that both students’ families had been notified of the accident.
“We are aware that two Spelman students were involved in an off-campus traffic accident on March 7, 2025,” shared the school.
“At this time, we are gathering more information and have been in touch with the families of both students,” a spokesperson wrote in a statement.
Thornton remains detained in Fulton County Jail. However, she could also face a lengthy jail stint if convicted of these multiple charges. The public has yet to receive an update on the 17-year-old’s condition, whose identity also remains unknown. The current condition of the other driver and his passenger has also not been revealed.
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