SAVANNAH, Ga. — Authorities say a tractor-trailer smashed into two passenger cars and caught fire on an interstate, killing five people.

Pooler, Georgia, Police Chief Mark Revenew said Tuesday afternoon’s crash on I-16 outside of Savannah shut down portions of the highway near the busy interchange with Interstate 95 for hours.

Revenew said investigators are looking into the possibility that the driver of the truck fell asleep. He says witnesses reported a tractor-trailer “drifting in and out of lanes” before slamming into cars ahead of it.

Revenew said three people died in one car that was struck and two others were killed when their car was crushed between the tractor-trailer and another big truck. He said the truck driver survived with no serious injuries.

First Published May 20, 2015, 12:47 a.m.