Someone at the Tollway Authority noticed that a woman in a Cadillac was traveling south on the northbound lanes. They dispatched a deputy constable to try to get that driver to stop, but they didn't reach her in time.
The wrong way driver hit another driver who authorities say had very little time to react.
"She was breathing and conscious at the time. She did realize that she was about to get hit head-on by the vehicle. From what we can tell, there were no skid marks because as she came over the crest, she was hit head-on by the vehicle," said Chief Deputy Phil Sandlin with the Precinct 8 Constable's Office.
The 81-year-old driver who struck the SUV died on impact. The woman she hit was taken by Life Flight to a nearby hospital. We are told that her injuries were not life-threatening.
Authorities say it's highly unusual to have a head-on accident in this area. They are trying to figure out how the woman ended up in the wrong lanes.
The tollway was shut down for nearly four hours but it has since reopened.
