1-75 reopens in Sarasota after crash with 18-wheeler, 5 vehicles that sent 7 to hospital

All lanes of Interstate 75 South in Sarasota were reopened on Monday afternoon after a major crash involving a semi-truck that ran into a line of vehicles stopped for traffic congestion.

The tractor-trailer and five passenger vehicles were involved in the wreck north of Clark Road shortly before 10:30 a.m., Florida Highway Patrol said. All southbound lanes of the interstate were blocked as emergency responders cleared the scene.

“This is preliminary, but it appears that the tractor trailer did not stop in time,” Trooper Kenneth Watson said. “Then he struck the vehicle in front of him and it was kind of an accordion effect.”

Seven people were transported to local hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries, Watson said.

The drivers seriously injured include an unknown person in a Ford pickup, a 58-year-old man from Sarasota in a Ford SUV, a 79-year-old man from Sarasota in an Acura SUV, a 30-year-old man from Cape Coral in a Dodge pickup. A 23-year-old man from Sarasota in an Isuzu pickup had minor injuries.

A 34-year-old man from St. Petersburg was driving the tractor trailer and had minor injuries, an FHP report said Monday evening.

The passengers and their injuries were not released Monday evening.

During the closure, southbound motorists were diverted off of the highway at the Bee Ridge Road interchange and allowed to get back on about two miles south at the Clark Road interchange.

Another wreck involving a rollover vehicle happened about five miles north and caused more congestion on I-75 South on Monday afternoon. As of 4 p.m., all lanes were reopened.

The closure lasted for several hours on Monday afternoon.

Troopers are investigating the cause of the wreck.

This story was originally published July 11, 2022 at 1:28 PM.