• 31
  • January
    2012

Two fatal pile-ups on I-75 in Gainesville on Sunday morning killed at least 10 people and injured 21 more. The tragic car accidents occurred on both sides of Interstate 75 when a dense cloud of fog and smoke dropped visibility to only a few feet. At least 12 cars, six semi trucks and a motor home were involved in the pileups.

Just three and a half hours before the Gainesville car wrecks, police had closed I-75 due to heavy smoke and fog that caused a three-car pile-up. The larger pile-ups occurred 15 minutes after the Florida Highway Patrol made the decision to reopen the highway.

At the time of the accidents, the smoke and fog had built up to the point that most drivers could only see a few feet in front of them. A truck driver involved in the accidents described it as "just like a wall." When emergency crews reached the scene, conditions were so bad that they could not reach all of the victims and had to find some victims by sound.

Who Is Responsible?

Florida Governor Rick Scott has ordered the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to investigate why the highway patrol decided to reopen I-75. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is considering joining the inquiry. The Florida Highway Patrol claims that conditions were clear when they reopened the highway but visibility quickly deteriorated before the accidents. Winds may have picked up to clear the road temporarily, only to die down and let the fog and smoke settle in again.

The smoke that was the principal culprit of low visibility was a brush fire burning on Paynes Prairie. It has destroyed 62 acres and may have been intentionally set. If arson was involved, the person who started the fire may be charged with manslaughter.

Beyond determining how the fire was started, it will take time to investigate the accidents and determine how each car was involved and who might be held responsible for the accidents and injuries. Once the investigations are complete, the victims and victims' families may be able to bring personal injury claims to recover compensation for their injuries and the deaths of their loved ones.

According to Florida Highway Patrol Lieutenant Patrick Riordan, some of the people involved in the accident were saved by the newer construction of their cars. Riordan cautioned that drivers should never let their guard down and always be prepared for sudden changes in visibility.

Source: The Gainesville Sun, "10 Dead in Crashes; I-75 Temporarily Closed Monday Morning," Cindy Swirko & Chad Smith, Jan. 29, 2012.