All southbound lanes of Interstate 75 in Alachua County were reopened early Saturday after all lanes were shut down due to a crash that killed five children and two adults.
Florida Department of Transportation confirmed via Twitter that work to repair the interstate was completed at 1:15 a.m.
The crash happened Thursday around 3:40 p.m. at Mile Marker 394. Florida Highway Patrol said a semi-truck was traveling northbound on I-75 and crashed into another vehicle. Both the semi-truck and vehicle collided through the guardrail, into the median and into the southbound lanes of I-75 where another semi-truck and the passenger van were traveling.
FHP said a passenger van overturned and ejected some occupants.
Both of the semi-trucks involved in the crash caught on fire. Alachua County Fire Rescue said nearly 50 gallons of diesel fuel spilled, igniting boxes and packages of meat that fell out of the truck.
Five children died in the crash and were identified as Joel Cloud, 14, Jeremiah Warren, 14, Cierra Bordelan, 9, Cara Descant, 13, and Brieana Descant, 10. They were all from Marksville, Louisiana, traveling in a passenger vehicle heading to Disney World, authorities said.
The two adults killed were identified to be the two semi-truck drivers involved in the crash: 59-year-old Steve Holland from West Palm Beach, Florida and 49-year-old Douglas Bolkema from Albuquerque.
Seven more victims remain hospitalized.