Truck driver killed, others injured in crash that shut down I-75 in Sarasota County 

The driver of a cement truck was killed and others were seriously injured when his truck crashed and overturned on southbound Interstate 75 in Sarasota County on Monday, according to Florida Highway Patrol.

The crash happened around 8:20 a.m. near Exit 195 (Laurel Road), and the interstate was closed to traffic for several hours as emergency crews responded.

Troopers say that the 46-year-old Port Charlotte man driving the concrete truck was unable to stop the vehicle in time to avoid colliding with traffic that was backed up on southbound I-75 due to an earlier crash. The truck slammed into five vehicles directly in front of it and then overturned, according to FHP.

The Port Charlotte man died at the scene.

A 43-year-old Sarasota man driving a truck and a 43-year-old Kissimmee man driving another truck both suffered serious injuries in the crash, troopers say. All others involved were uninjured.

All lanes of southbound I-75 in Sarasota County had been reopened as of 3:30 p.m., but traffic remained congested in the area, according to FDOT.

This story was originally published March 15, 2021 at 9:56 AM.