Nine vehicles were involved in a pileup on I-75 southbound near the 338-mile marker in Marion County late Friday night, Florida Highway Patrol said. One person died at the scene, two people were seriously injured, and 10 other people had minor injuries.
Multiple 911 callers reported semi-tractor trailers and vehicles in a chain reaction type of collision. Callers also said a vehicle had rolled over and there were many injuries, according to the Marion County Fire Rescue Facebook page.
I-75 closed overnight due to 9 vehicle pileup
Florida Highway Patrol said a semi-tractor trailer ran off the road, hit the guardrail in the median, then re-entered the southbound traffic striking four vehicles and four commercial vehicles.
Marion County Fire Rescue arrived on scene at 12:02 a.m.
The driver of a 2007 Chevy Corvette, 25-year-old Jarrett Tereskun from Fruitland Park, Florida, was declared dead at the scene.
The Tech Rescue Team extracted two patients from a semi wedged between two other cars.
Eight people were transported to three different hospitals, according to FHP.
The driver of the semi-tractor trailer that ran off the road, 64-year-old Sung Il Lee from Lagrange, Georigia, sustained serious injuries was taken to Shands in Gainesville. The passenger in the semi with him, Raymond Bostain, suffered serious injuries and was taken to Ocala Regional Medical Center.
HAZMAT technicians worked to contain the diesel fuel and gasoline spills from the vehicles.
All lanes of I-75 southbound were shut down for an extended period of time due to the investigation and scene clean up. The roadway has since been re-opened.
The cause of the accident remains under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol.