5 Of The Biggest Car Accidents In Florida History
Chances are, you’ve seen an accident or two take place here in Florida. Whether it’s on your morning commute or just picking up some groceries at Publix, crazy drivers are just about everywhere. Today, we’re looking back on some of the biggest car accidents in Florida history.
Today, we have computer-sized screens in half the cars on the road and drivers swiping through TikTok while on their morning commute. Some cars are even taking hands-free tech to a new level with self-driving cars.
Even though we have seen an increase in distracted driving, new tech isn’t always to blame. Many of the worst and biggest car accidents have been caused by poor visibility and driving conditions.
5 Of The Biggest Car Accidents In Florida
We’re going to be looking over not only some of the biggest car accidents and pileups but also the most deadly. Many of these have taken place since the early 2000s, but we will start with the most recent notable accident.
43 Vehicle Accident In Orlando – 4/15/2022
On state Route 408 heading into Orlando, heavy rains and low visibility lead to a massive accident. These dangerous driving conditions combined with evening rush hour traffic were the recipe for the perfect storm causing a 43 car pile-up.
Now one was killed in this mess, and only a few injuries were reported. The lanes were blocked off for hours making it one of the biggest car accidents in Florida.
The 27-Car Pileup On Alligator Alley – 1/26/2002
Unfortunately, this famous Alligator Alley accident turned deadly. As the early morning fog came in along Alligator Alley (I-75), driving conditions became less than ideal. As a car carrier truck was heading westbound into the dense fog, they ran into a pickup truck causing the pickup to end up in the eastbound lane,
As the pickup was pushed into oncoming traffic, six more accidents happened on both sides of the road. There were 27 vehicles involved in this accident including 16 semi trucks.
The road was closed for hours to clean and help those involved in the accident. Three people were killed and 13 others injured making it one of Florida’s biggest car accidents.
Polk County 70 Car Pileup – 1/9/2008
We all know how wild I-4 can get at just about any time of the day. I don’t think it’s possible to ever drive I-4 without seeing an accident or major delays. Back in 2008, a nearby fire was causing smoke and fog to make its way onto the already dangerous stretch of road.
The limited visibility resulted in a massive 70-car pile-up across a span of 15 miles. Cars were pinned down by other cars and semi-trucks. Of the 70 vehicles, there were 20 work trucks and semis. This accident turned lethal as 38 people were injured, 5 with serious injuries, and resulted in 4 dead.
I-75 Accident Involving 47 Vehicles – 10/5/2012
Low visibility strikes again, but this time with heavy rainfall as the culprit. Right on the edge of Sarasota and Manatee County at the overpass for Univeristy Parkway, heavy rainfall causing low visibility and slippery conditions caused 12 separate collisions to take place around 3:30 involving 47 vehicles, both commercial trucks and cars).
The stretch of I-75 was closed for 6 hours with 52 people injured with 22 of them being transported to local hospitals without life-threatening injuries. Luckily, no one was seriously hurt or killed, but this remains one of the biggest car accidents in Florida’s history.
22 Car Pileup On I-95 Near Jacksonville – 1/5/2017
At around 11 pm in 2017, a tractor-trailer truck collided with two stopped vehicles that were involved in a prior accident. The truck pushed the cars into the cars in front of it causing a chain reaction pileup to occur involving 22 vehicles.
Of the 22 vehicles, there were said to be 3 semi trucks involved. The 22-car pileup shut down the southbound lane son I-95 for hours. There were 13 people injured and one died from the accident making it one of the biggest car accidents in Florida’s history.
