Old National Highway & Godby Road: Why One of Georgia’s Most Dangerous Corridors Runs Through South Fulton
By Jean-Paul Brunache, Attorney at Law
Quick answer: Old National Highway (SR 279) is consistently ranked among the most dangerous roads in Georgia — one corridor study found roughly 80 crashes a year on a single segment, with about a third causing injury, and South Fulton police describe the road as known for frequent accidents. The state’s Governor’s Office of Highway Safety funded a dedicated enforcement unit specifically to cut crashes here. The Godby Road junction sits in the corridor’s busy College Park stretch near the airport. If you’ve been hurt here, document the scene, get medical care, and talk to a Georgia injury attorney before dealing with any insurer. Buckhead Law: 770-GET-PAID.
Where is this intersection?
Old National Highway (SR 279) is a roughly 10-mile north–south corridor running through College Park and the City of South Fulton, just south of Hartsfield-Jackson airport. Godby Road crosses it in the corridor’s northern stretch, an area dense with apartments, shopping plazas, restaurants, and MARTA bus routes. The corridor connects to I-285 and I-85 and carries heavy local and airport-area traffic all day.
Why is Old National so dangerous?
It’s ranked among the worst roads in the state. Analyses of Georgia crash data place Old National Highway among the state’s five most dangerous roads. A corridor study found an average of roughly 80 crashes per year on one segment of SR 279, with about 32% resulting in one or more injuries.
Police say so themselves. After a head-on collision shut the road down in late 2024, a South Fulton police captain described Old National as “a very busy highway” known for frequent accidents — and noted that while officers investigated that wreck, another crash happened nearby.
The state stepped in. The Georgia Governor’s Office of Highway Safety awarded a grant funding a dedicated enforcement (HEAT) unit on Old National specifically to reduce crashes, with increased police presence during peak hours. States don’t fund corridor-specific enforcement units without a documented problem.
Serious wrecks keep happening. The corridor has seen multiple fatal crashes in recent years, including a March 2024 wreck that killed three people and closed the highway for hours, and a fatal motorcycle collision at Old National & Flat Shoals in early 2025.
The environment is unforgiving. Multi-lane speeds, dense driveways, transit riders crossing to bus stops, and heavy left-turn activity at plazas like the Godby Road node combine the same risk factors seen on Georgia’s other high-casualty corridors.
What types of crashes happen here most?
- Angle and left-turn crashes at signals and plaza driveways
- Head-on collisions, including from center-line crossings
- Pedestrian crashes, given transit stops and long distances between crossings
- Rear-end collisions in the corridor’s stop-and-go retail stretches
What should you do after a crash here?
- Get to safety and call 911 so there’s an official record.
- Document the scene — vehicle positions, damage, signals, and the other driver’s details. Plaza businesses along the corridor often have cameras.
- See a doctor promptly, even if you feel okay.
- Be careful with insurers — you’re not required to give the other driver’s insurer a recorded statement.
- Talk to a Georgia injury attorney before settling — and note that if road design or signal issues contributed, claims involving a government entity carry short, separate notice deadlines.
How long do you have to file a claim in Georgia?
Georgia’s statute of limitations for most personal injury claims is two years from the date of injury (O.C.G.A. § 9-3-33). Claims against a government entity can require an ante litem notice on a much shorter clock — as soon as six months for some municipalities — so confirm your specific deadlines with an attorney quickly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Crash-data analyses rank it among the state's five most dangerous roads, one corridor study found roughly 80 crashes a year on a single segment, and the Governor's Office of Highway Safety funded a dedicated enforcement unit to reduce crashes there.
A state grant funded a dedicated HEAT enforcement unit with increased police presence during peak hours, and the corridor has been the subject of redevelopment and safety planning by College Park and South Fulton.
It sits in the corridor's dense northern stretch near the airport — heavy traffic, plaza driveways, transit stops, and constant left turns across multiple lanes.
You can reach Buckhead Law at 770-GET-PAID.
If you or a family member was hurt in a crash on Old National Highway — or anywhere in metro Atlanta — you don't have to face the insurance companies alone. Call Buckhead Law: 770-GET-PAID. Follow @770getpaid for our ongoing Atlanta Crash Report series.
