ALACHUA COUNTY, FL (352today.com) – FOLLOW-UP, 7/7/2024: Looking at photos of wreck that shut down Interstate 75 southbound in Alachua County for more than 7 hours on 4th of July, it’s hard not wonder how the drivers survived the crash.
Alachua County Fire Rescue (ACFR) says in a Facebook post that it took two hours to extricate the driver of the big rig.
ACFR says multiple agencies assisted including Gainesville Fire Rescue (GFR), Alachua County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO) and the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP).
Once out of the cab, a helicopter transported the driver of the 18-wheeler to the hospital. But as previously reported, authorities say he remarkably suffered only minor injuries and the driver of the Honda Pilot wasn’t injured in the crash.
UPDATE, 6:07 p.m.: Traffic is still backed up on Interstate 75 southbound in Alachua County, but progress is being made.
The Florida Department of Transportation says only one lane remains closed. A check of the state’s camera system shows the traffic is only backed up about a mile.
UPDATE, 3:45 p.m.: The Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) says the crash that has Interstate 75 tied up was caused when an SUV’s tire “malfunctioned.”
Troopers say the driver of a Honda Pilot SUV lost control and traveled into the path of a semi-tractor trailer when the tire malfunctioned.
FHP says the tractor trailer driver ran off the road when he tried to avoid colliding with the SUV and crashed into some trees.
A Shands Life Flight Helicopter landed on the interstate resulting in a complete closure of I-75 since the driver of 18-wheeler was trapped at the time.
Troopers say the big rig driver is a 39-year-old man from Maryland and only suffered minor injuries. They say the SUV driver is a 26-year-old man from Georgia. He was not injured.
A check of the state’s camera system shows traffic is still backed up but only for a couple miles now.
ORIGINAL, 2:09 p.m.: The 4th of July holiday is being spent stuck in a traffic jam for thousands of people headed south on Interstate 75 (I-75).
The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) reports a crash in Alachua County on I-75 southbound near mile marker 390 which is near the exit for State Road 222/NW 39th Avenue.
The state says the incident was reported around 11 a.m. on Thursday.
FDOT says the right two lanes are blocked, leaving only one lane open for traffic flow.
A check of Florida 511, the state’s real-time traffic camera network, shows traffic backed up for at least seven miles. Avoid the area until the wreck scene is clear.
This is a developing story. We’ll continue to monitor the progress and update this story. Check back frequently.