SUMTER COUNTY, Fla. – A chaotic series of collisions on Interstate 75 left one man dead and another seriously injured late Monday night after a minor wreck spiraled into a massive four-truck pileup.
The Florida Highway Patrol reported that the trouble began at approximately 10:20 PM near the 325-mile marker when a tractor-trailer rear-ended a Ford F350 towing a motorhome.
While the initial crash resulted in no injuries, it left the highway in shambles. The impact shredded the motorhome, scattering heavy debris across every southbound lane.
A Honda CRV traveling behind the crash struck the wreckage and became disabled on the road. As first responders worked the scene, traffic began to back up for miles, setting the stage for a second, more violent encounter.
Just over an hour later, at 11:34 PM, the situation turned’ deadly near the 326-mile marker. Troopers say a tractor-trailer failed to slow down for the stopped traffic, slamming into the back of another semi. The force of the collision triggered a chain reaction that swept up two additional tractor-trailers.
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The driver of the first truck in that second sequence, a 60-year-old man from Georgia, was ejected from his cab during the impact. He was rushed to a nearby hospital but later died from his injuries.
The driver of the second semi was also hospitalized with serious injuries, while the drivers of the third and fourth trucks walked away unhurt.
The double crash forced authorities to shut down all southbound lanes for hours, diverting a sea of frustrated drivers onto SR-44 at the 329-mile marker.
The Florida Highway Patrol confirmed that the inside lanes have finally been cleared and reopened to traffic.
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