Fiery Crash Involving Semi Hauling Fertilizer Shuts Down FL Interstate
Orlando Sentinel
(TNS)
Interstate 4 in Osceola County near ChampionsGate reopened Monday evening following a crash involving a truck hauling fertilizer that shut down both the westbound and eastbound lanes all afternoon.
The Florida Department of Transportation announced just before 8 p.m. that I-4 had reopened to westbound traffic except for the far left inside lane, which is need of repairs.
The lanes were closed at mile marker 59 and the eastbound lanes reopened just after 4 p.m., FDOT said.
FDOT also said the westbound off ramp at County Road 532 is closed because the burnt trailer of the truck involved in the incident has been placed there. The trailer is being monitored by fire rescue, according to the FDOT release.
The crash initially closed two lanes on eastbound Interstate 4 and by 12:15 p.m., all of eastbound I-4 was shut down as well.
Authorities diverted all westbound traffic off exit 62 to World Drive, and in Polk County, traffic was diverted eastbound at Exit 58 at ChampionsGate Boulevard.
FHP said the crash involved a 2017 Ford Focus and a semi truck.
“The sequence of events that caused the collision are still under investigation,” said FHP Lt. Tara Crescenzi in an emailed update. “However, preliminary evidence shows post-collision, the semi truck struck a guardrail and became fully engulfed in flames.”
Backed-up traffic in the westbound lanes of I-4 was slowly being corralled to turn around and drive back in the inside breakdown lane to get off the interstate by traveling up the exit ramp coming from State Road 429, which had been blocked to traffic. The remaining eastbound traffic was allowed to move past the crash scene in the outside lanes.
By 1 p.m., all of the stopped traffic had been cleared from the interstate.
Motorists can see real-time traffic conditions by visiting FL511.com or checking the Florida 511 app.
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