Multiple Car Crashes with Fatalities Near Gainesville
A map of the Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park from Google Maps shows the area of 441 and I-75 where the accidents occurred.
By Vickie Frantz, AccuWeather.com Staff Writer
Jan 29, 2012; 1:55 PM ET
Smoke from brush fires and fog caused multiple car crashes on highways I-75 and 441 south of Gainesville, Fla. Sunday morning, leaving at least nine people dead.
Visibility was reported to be almost zero at the time of the accidents. Both highways had been closed prior to the accidents due to poor visibility. They were reopened when conditions had improved.
The nine fatalities were all reported to be from accidents that occurred on I-75. As of Sunday afternoon, there are no reports of fatalities or injuries from the accidents on highway 441.
Approximately 20 cars were involved in the accidents on both the northbound and southbound lanes of I-75.
As the accident scenes are investigated, I-75 was closed as of 11 a.m. EST. Highway 441 was reported to be reopened.
The fires are reported to be in both Alachua and Gilchrist counties in Florida.
Additional information about the fires was not available. Calls to the Waccasassa Forestry Center were not answered as of Sunday afternoon.
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