SUMTER COUNTY, Fla. — One person died and another was seriously injured after a chain-reaction crash involving multiple tractor-trailers on Interstate 75 in Sumter County, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
Troopers said the crash happened late Monday night in the southbound lanes of I-75 near mile markers 325 and 326.
According to FHP, the first crash happened around 10:20 p.m. when a tractor-trailer traveling south on I-75 overtook and collided with a Ford F-350 towing a motorhome near mile marker 325.
Troopers said the tractor-trailer traveled off the road and stopped on the outside grass shoulder. The Ford continued south for a short distance before stopping on the outside paved shoulder.
The motorhome sustained severe damage, scattering debris across all southbound lanes, according to FHP.
Troopers respond to deadly overnight crash on I-75 in Sumter County
A Honda CR-V then hit debris in the road and became disabled. Troopers said no injuries were reported by the drivers involved in the first crash.
After that crash, traffic slowed or stopped.
At 11:34 p.m., FHP said a tractor-trailer failed to slow and collided with another tractor-trailer near mile marker 326.
That collision caused a chain-reaction crash involving two more tractor-trailers.
Troopers said the driver of the first tractor-trailer, a 60-year-old man from Georgia, was ejected and later died at a hospital.
The driver of the second tractor-trailer suffered serious injuries and was also taken to a hospital. The drivers of the third and fourth tractor-trailers were not injured, according to FHP.
All southbound lanes were initially closed, with traffic diverted onto State Road 44 at mile marker 329.
FHP said the southbound inside lanes have since reopened.
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