JEFFERSON - A wreck that killed two people Tuesday afternoon on Interstate 85 near Jefferson kept southbound lanes closed for nearly four hours.

The wreck happened shortly after 1 p.m., according to an operator at the Georgia State Patrol’s Athens post.

The vehicle left the road and the driver overcorrected, causing the vehicle to overturn. Both occupants of the vehicle, a man and woman, were thrown from the vehicle. It wasn’t known whether the two had been wearing seat belts.

The man died at the scene, and the woman died later at an area hospital.

No additional details were available and the victims remained unidentified as of 9:30 p.m. Tuesday, according to public safety officials.

According to public safety officials, southbound traffic near the accident site had been closed since around 1:30 p.m., but lanes were open and traffic moving freely by about 5:30 p.m.