Clayton News Daily

Photo by Elaine Rackley An auto accident on Interstate 75 North, under the Eagle's Landing Parkway bridge, sent four people with injuries to nearby hospitals Monday. Emergency workers transported two people to Henry Medical Center and two people to Southern Regional Hospital.

By Elaine Rackley

erackley@henryherald.com

The Henry County Police Department has released the identities of the drivers involved in a four-car accident on I-75, which shut down lanes of the interstate for two hours, Monday.

Police said one of those involved was Phil Phelps, 88, of Florida, who was the subject of a Silver Alert (Florida's version of a Mattie's call) for missing persons.

Phelps was in a silver 2004 Cadillac Deville when it was struck from the rear, and set off a chain reaction of collision, according to Henry County police. He was traveling north on I-75 near exit 224.

The auto accident took place under the Eagle's Landing Parkway Bridge, at the exit ramp of Hudson Bridge Road and Eagle's Landing Parkway.

All of the lanes on I-75 north were closed at one point during the incident. The right lane and emergency lane were open after 40 minutes, and all of the lanes were open within 2 hours, according to Henry County Police Sgt. Mike Ireland.

Phelps was transported to Southern Regional for chest pain following the accident, and was later released Monday night, said Sgt. Ireland.

"He was involved in a minor accident in Florida, but when Florida authorities ran his information, the alert was not yet in the computer," said Sgt. Ireland. "Mr. Phelps does have a son who lives in Marietta. The son met Mr. Phelps at the hospital, where Mr. Phelps was treated and released to the son," Ireland added.

Police said that another driver, Perry Miller, 42, was the only person issued a citation. He was charged with following too closely.

"He was the cause of the accident," said Ireland. "He struck [Phelps' car] in the rear... [and] started the chain reaction."

Nakita Casey, 39, was the driver of a third car involved. There were two passengers.

A fourth driver in the car crash was identified, by police, as Gregory Ramers, 37. He was not hospitalized.

The other drivers and passengers in the wreck were transported to hospitals with no major injuries, only complaints, said Ireland.