A crash involving a semi left three cars in flames on May 31. According to reports, the tractor-trailer was being driven by a 50-year-old female on Interstate 95 around 7:30 p.m. The crash occurred at mile marker 301. The woman reportedly did not stop in time for a traffic jam that was a result of previous wreck two hours earlier and ended up crashing in to the vehicle in front of her. A car and two trucks caught on fire as a result. Three were killed and another three injured in the crash.
The previous wreck had happened around 5:30 p.m. in the southbound lanes of Interstate 95 in Flagler County past Palm Coast Parkway. According to reports, it was a three-vehicle crash involving a car and two pickup trucks. Florida Highway Patrol reported that two individuals, a 17-year-old male and a 56-year-old female, were killed.
The wrecks left the southbound lanes of Interstate 95 closed until the next afternoon, and the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office reported that the road was going to need repairs to fix the damage from the fire. The repairs were planned for the overnight hours from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m.
One of the unfortunate realities of car and truck accidents is that they can often increase the risk of subsequent accidents due to traffic slowdowns and drivers trying to maneuver around closed roads. As this case shows, it is important for drivers to always be aware of what is going on ahead and to maintain an assured clear distance ahead to decrease the chances of an accident. If a driver fails to do this and is found at fault for an accident that kills or injures another individual, a civil suit may be possible.
Source: The St. Augustine Record, “Two southbound lanes on I-95 to be shut down Wednesday night” No author given, Jun. 04, 2014