Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) is investigating a seven-car crash that shut down southbound Interstate 75 Friday afternoon in Sarasota County near the Manatee County line.
According to a news release from FHP, a semi-truck was traveling south in the center lane on I-75, approaching mile marker 205, when the driver failed to slow for stopped traffic.
The front of the semi-truck crashed into the back of a van directly in front of it which forced the van forward and to the right, FHP reports. The van flipped on its right side on the shoulder of the interstate where it came to rest.
The semi-truck continued moving forward which caused the front to collide with a sedan in the center lane. FHP says the sedan was wedged under the truck and was dragged forward by the force into the right side of a car that was in the left lane.
Troopers say the semi-truck, with the car still pinned underneath it, continued moving forward, eventually crashing into the back of another car in the lane. This collision became a domino effect which caused two more crashes with the cars in front of each other.
The semi-truck finally stopped facing south on the interstate with the car still underneath it. The other cars were either came to rest or were moved before law enforcement arrived, FHP explains.
The 23-year-old driver of the semi-truck had no injuries while the 47-year-old driver of the sedan was left with critical injuries, according to FHP. The other drivers sustained minor injuries.
FHP continues to investigate the traffic crash, and charges are pending the completion of the crash investigation.
The previous story is below.
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A major crash shut down southbound Interstate 75 for some time Friday afternoon in Sarasota County near the Manatee County line.
The crash happened about 10 minutes before noon.
A car appeared pinned under a semi-truck. Emergency crews responded, with traffic being routed off the interstate.
It was not immediately clear what caused the crash or how many people may have been hurt.
The highway has since reopened to traffic, though it'll be slow going through the area.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
