9 Killed in Florida Highway Pile-Ups Caused by Heavy Smoke & Fog
- Posted on January 29, 2012 at 11:40am by
Madeleine Morgenstern
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The aftermath of one of several crashes on Interstate 75 in north Florida, apparently caused by heavy smoke and fog. (Image source: Gainesville Sun)
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — At least nine people died in a series of crashes apparently caused by heavy smoke and fog overnight on Interstate 75 in north Florida, authorities said Sunday.
Florida Highway Patrol Lt. Patrick Riordan said the pileups happened around 3:45 a.m. Sunday on both sides of I-75 south of Gainesville. All lanes of the interstate remained closed as investigators began trying to figure out what caused the early morning crashes.
Riordan said several people were injured and taken to Gainesville hospitals. Their conditions were unclear.
At least 18 people hurt in the wreck were being treated at Shands at the University of Florida, said hospital spokeswoman Allison Wilson.
The FHP had closed the highway briefly overnight because of a mixture of fog and smoke from a marsh fire in the Paynes Prairie area south of Gainesville.
Riordan said the agency had several troopers driving along the stretch of I-75 to access the situation early Sunday.
“When the visibility cleared, we reopened the road,” he said.
He said he is not sure how much time passed between the reopening of the highway and the first crash.
At least four to five large commercial vehicles and about six passenger vehicles were involved. Riordan said many were badly compressed.
Riordan said this is the worst accident he’s seen in his 27-year career with FHP.
U.S. 441 is also closed and traffic is being diverted onto U.S. 301 and State Road 27, Riordan said.
Heavy fog and smoke were blamed for another serious crash four years ago. In January 2008, four people were killed and 38 injured in a series of similar crashes on Interstate 4 between Orlando and Tampa, about 125 miles south of Sunday’s crash. More than 70 vehicles were involved in those crashes caused by fog and smoke, including one pileup that involved 40 vehicles.
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Nick Jammer
Posted on January 30, 2012 at 1:18pmThis is a terrible tragedy and I can see why after spending many years driving in Florida.
Report Post »Half the state speaks no English and I am sure that most of them have no drivers license.
It is in effect a Third World satellite.
Judy112
Posted on January 30, 2012 at 11:50amI have lived in central Florida since 1980. US27 is an accident waiting to happen everyday. It is loaded with semi trucks and they should be stopped from using this highway. The traffic congestion on 27 is getting worse everyday. I want to know why I75 was reopened after the smoke was so bad to begin with. This horrible accident would never have happened if traffic had been rerouted. Fires are common this time of year, especially since there has been no rain. My prayers go out to the families with lost loved ones and for those recovering from this horrific accident. It won’t be the last if there are more fires and the highways remain open.
Report Post »Linden
Posted on January 29, 2012 at 9:09pmMy aunt and uncle were seriously injured in this accident. We are unsure if my aunt will survive. Instead of throwing stones about how badly people drive please take into account the lives effected by this.
Report Post »deepsouthmomma
Posted on January 29, 2012 at 10:24pmLinden we will be in prayer for your aunt. We had family about 30 mins behind where it happend. Hope everythings turn out ok.
Ps My sons name is Linden
Report Post »burtontd76
Posted on January 29, 2012 at 7:34pmsomething else i have wondered about, were these people distracted by their cell phones? i was guity of using my cellphone while driving until i baught a motorcycle, i havent used my cell in the car since. you dont notice all the distracted drivers till you are on a bike. these people are stupid. i have been cut off, run up on, pushed out of my lane, on numerous occasions, and every one was by a driver on their cell. then when i honk at them they act as if i was in the wrong. not to be sexist or age discriminant, but most of them were females in their teens to thirtys. we need people to use common sense. to bad common sense is no longer common.
Report Post »angeleyes63
Posted on January 29, 2012 at 7:18pmWhy do these articles always blame fatal crashes on road conditions and not drivers?
Report Post »newspapertaxis
Posted on January 29, 2012 at 6:19pmIts that darn Cafe Risque crowd after closing… What ever happened to driving as safe as conditions permit?
Report Post »lukerw
Posted on January 29, 2012 at 2:25pmBuilt upon Swap fill-in… there are many bad days on I-75.
Report Post »Marci
Posted on January 29, 2012 at 3:08pmThose roads are among the worst to drive on, 1-75 is just plain dangerous in Florida. I lived in this exact area for nine years and had to take the route by Paynes Prairie at least once a week, as someone else said, it’s swamp land. It’s rural and infested with gators, and forest fires are pretty common.
Report Post »Captain Crunch
Posted on January 30, 2012 at 5:43amI-75 Between Detroit Michigan and Toledo Ohio are sometimes just as bad. People think their cars are indestrucable.
Report Post »Sorry fro all the hurt people and family losses. May God comfort them all.
COFemale
Posted on January 29, 2012 at 1:38pmThis is tragic and my heart goes out to the families and friends of those lost in the accident.
Like all accidents, there is someone or a few in a group that do not heed the driving conditions and still drive like a bat out of hell. They are the ones who cause the accident. It takes common sense for people to know to slow down. I grew up in Orlando and have driven on I-4, I-75 and I-95 many times in fog and it gets pretty thick just by itself; when you add smoke, then you have real issues.
I run into this issue today in Colorado. There is a stretch of road that is prone to heavy fog, where visibility is barely 50 ft, yet there are idiots who feel driving the speed limit 55 or 65 is still warranted. You can’t fix stupid.
Report Post »TANK3584
Posted on January 29, 2012 at 12:35pmHere is a mind twister…They not only speed…but when they come up to a bad wreck…they slow down just to look and SPEED off like nothing….NOT even a ticket would cure them….4 wheelers have turned in major ********…….
Report Post »grandmaof5
Posted on January 29, 2012 at 12:44pmI-75 is 3 lanes N & S, speed limit 70 MPH and some very large hills and curves in that area. Very sad for all the families involved. Scared to death to check in with our family in that area but, thank God, all are accounted for. Our prayers are with those lost or injured and their families.
Report Post »CatB
Posted on January 29, 2012 at 12:57pmYou also get a lot of people this time of year who do not drive ths stretch of road often … and yes they don’t like to slow down … and I agree neither do the truckers .. they used to be the “gentlemen” of the highway .. that is no longer true.
Report Post »Cat
Posted on January 29, 2012 at 1:30pmCatB >
Try driving southern US-27 someday
Report Post »Could swear most of the loaded rigs are doing +100mph
Almost got killed outside of Clewiston, on a sunshiny day, by two ‘drag racing’ rigs
It’s safer at sea …
grandmaof5
Posted on January 29, 2012 at 5:24pmCAT, when I was in college in Babson Park we were on 27 coming back from Clermont – terrible wreck that closed 27 for hours. Only thing I remember about that trip is the teddy bear on the back seat of one of the wrecked cars. That image I will never forget…
Report Post »Hope you and CATB are withstanding the onslaught before Tueday’s primary.
Cat
Posted on January 29, 2012 at 6:09pmGrandmaof5 >
Haven’t been anywhere near that deathtrap strip of asphalt since.
Wagons of families use US-27 much more then they should when touring this beautiful state.
Donated the TV’s to Goodwill 8 years ago because of all the bull and lies spewing out during elections.
Report Post »Have no clue, and don’t care, what’s being discharged out of the boob tube anymore.
It’s been pleasent without them
But, thank you for your concern
Cat
Posted on January 29, 2012 at 6:20pmActually, some of the pavement is concrete, if I recall …
Report Post »GUNNSUP
Posted on January 29, 2012 at 9:21pmOn any given day, people drive through that area doing 85-90 mph like its nothing, especially the 20-30 somthing yr olds that are clueless to the danger they putting people in with that speed…..
Report Post »OUTRIDER WRITER
Posted on January 30, 2012 at 8:42amPaynes Prairie is a huge sinkhole basin where autos driving north or south rapidly descend off a ridge into the basin. Southbound, a car could have driving into the blanket of fog and smoke in a matter of seconds.
Report Post »….
Lesson to be learned: If you must stop in a situation like this (smoke, fog, rain, ice, crash, etc.) get out of your vehicle immediately and move 100 yards or more OFF the ROAD until you can see to drive. If you are on a bridge, you are truly out of luck.
Phoneguy
Posted on January 29, 2012 at 12:21pmDon’t punish, maybe get some flashing lights post to warn of conditions, and teach to not stop!
Report Post »dave88
Posted on January 29, 2012 at 12:10pmI know the conventional thinking where there is no visibility on the expressway is to speed up and drive like a maniac. Maybe its time to change that.
Report Post »chips1
Posted on January 29, 2012 at 12:57pmIt’s the same in almost all states that issuing drivers licenses brings in revenue from gas taxes, taxes from insurance companies, etc. Knowing how to drive would only reduce state income. We can’t have that, can we?
Report Post »skippy6
Posted on January 29, 2012 at 12:03pmWhy on earth people keep driving 70 when they can’t see more than 50 ft is beyond me,such a tragic loss God help them….
Report Post »Hickory
Posted on January 29, 2012 at 11:59amI 75 in this area is a speedway. People ignore the speed limit and go between 80 and 90. They also ignore conditions. I had to drive it on one of those rare times it was iced, People were piling up all over. Some nut in a volvo with Dade county plates passed me going way over 80. I came upon him wrapped around a guard rail a few miles up the road. They never learn down there even tho most are from New Jersy and New York.
Report Post »BeckIgnoresConstitution
Posted on January 29, 2012 at 2:36pmTo all the self proclaimed great drivers out there who don’t use common sense. YOU’RE IN YOUR CAR, NOT NASCAR!
Folks you must drive defensively, don’t tailgate. The safe following distance under ideal road conditions is to maintain at least a four second interval between you and the car ahead. Do this by starting to count down four seconds when the car ahead passes a landmark – four seconds should pass before you reach the same landmark. Landmarks can be anything stationary such as a sign, a tree, or an overpass. If conditions are less than ideal, make it 6, 8, 10 or more seconds.
Keeping a safe following distance gives you time to stop before you plow into someone when something unexpected happens.
Unexpected things are obviously more likely to happen when there is low or no visibility. If you can’t see the vehicle in front of you and know for certain you have enough stopping distance regardless of anything else, you are placing yourself and others in grave danger. Don’t do it.
By the way, yes if you maintain a four second interval people may cut in between you and the car ahead. That’s ok, set you cruise control to just one or two miles per hour less than the average speeds at the time and you will automatically regain your safe interval.
You will lose no negligible time and it just might save your life.
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