One dead in Tuesday seven-vehicle pile-up | Local News

Pedroza was reportedly driving a Nissan Frontier on U.S. 285 south of Roswell near East Orchard Park Road at about 2:30 p.m. when he collided with the back of a flatbed trailer pulled by a truck in front of him.

The Frontier then reportedly caught fire, and Pedroza was later pronounced dead at the scene. A 49-year-old woman who was riding with Pedroza escaped from the vehicle and was transported to a local hospital to be treated for injuries.

State police on Wednesday said they did not know of the woman’s condition or the nature of her injuries. A 15-year-old passenger in one of the other vehicles in the pile-up was hospitalized.

Intense winds and low visibility are believed to have been factors in the pile-up, according to the press release.

The chain of accidents began when a pickup truck coming from East Orchard Road was struck by another pickup, causing both vehicles to become disabled in the northbound lane.

The press release states that the driver of the pickup that was pulling the flatbed then suddenly tried to stop to avoid crashing into the vehicles from the initial crash, which is when Pedroza rammed into the back of the trailer.

Three other vehicles then collided with the two vehicles from the initial accident. No other people were reported injured.

Dexter Fire and Rescue Chief Justin Powell said numerous agencies responded to the pile-up, with initial reports that there were no injuries in the crash.

“The next thing you know, we have multiple vehicles with one vehicle on fire,” Powell said. He added that the brownout conditions from the rising dirt and debris were so bad that crews…