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Published on January 31, 2025
Cobb County Pastor Steps In to Secure Sensitive Documents Spilled on I-285 After Postal Truck IncidentSource: Google Street View

I-285 in Cobb County became an unexpected archive of private information when a U.S. Postal Service truck spilled piles of "undeliverable" mail across the interstate. Pastor Male Atkins, who stumbled upon the scene, took it upon himself to gather thousands of items, including sensitive documents like driver’s licenses, social security checks, and mortgage payments. Atkins told Channel 2 Action News that he was unable to just drive past the debris, driven by a sense of duty to protect others' information from misuse. "I had to stop because of my heart," he explained, emphasizing his urgency to act.

Despite efforts to notify authorities, Atkins indicated that the response was lackluster. "I called police and the post office, but says I didn't get much help," Atkins disclosed in an interview with FOX 5 Atlanta. Demonstrating an attempt to fulfill a civic responsibility, Atkins gathered up the scattered mail to deliver it to the nearest post office, hoping for proper handling from thereon.

The fallout from the incident raised questions about the security of personal information when mail is deemed "undeliverable." Not all pieces of the mail bore the telltale yellow labels indicating their status. "I can pick up a piece of paper right now with somebody's social security number on it. Right now. Plain open. Just do better USPS, do better," Atkins told FOX 5 Atlanta. This statement underscores the potential risk of identity theft and other privacy violations that could arise from such incidents.

In response, the U.S. Postal Service confirmed the accident was the result of a mishap by an independent contractor, not a USPS employee. "The Postal Service takes seriously the security and sanctity of the mail," a USPS spokesperson said in a statement shared with Channel 2 Action News. Local postal officials claimed to have dispatched personnel quickly to retrieve all dropped material, although reports by FOX 5 Atlanta later indicated that hundreds of pieces of mail were left on the interstate's side.