Atlanta PD issues warning about big rig stowaways

ATLANTA — The Atlanta Police Department (APD) has issued an alert for 18-wheeler drivers after social media posts show someone hanging on to the back of a tractor-trailer that’s driving down the interstate.

According to an APD Facebook post, this isn’t the first incident of its kind to be reported.

The APD called the actions a “new game” on social media.

“The Atlanta Police Department has been made aware of several recent incidents of people riding on the outside of moving semi-trucks on our local highways,” the APD post stated.

“We realize this may come as a surprise to some, but riding on the outside of a semi-truck that is going 65 to 75 mph, or any moving vehicle on I-285, I-75 or any other road, at any speed, is a death wish of sorts.”

The APD characterized the people in these videos as stowaways who are violating the law.

“These acts … (put) the drivers behind and next to the violated truck in danger. If the person getting the ‘free ride’ loses their balance and falls off, or jumps off the moving vehicle, they will almost certainly be struck by other cars that are nearby, possibly injuring other drivers and causing a multi-car collision as others try to avoid being in the fray,” the APD post stated.

The department also noted that “this hazardous buffoonery by Atlanta’s wayward souls will not be tolerated. There is nothing humorous about jeopardizing the safety of drivers or persons.”

“We ask people who see these incidents to put their cameras down and use their phones to instead call 911,” the APD said. “The safety of our citizens is our number one priority. We take these incidents serious, and we want to send a strong message to those that continue to put Atlanta on the map or on the ‘Gram’ (Instagram) for things that don’t serve our greater good, make us better, or uplift our city.”