Bad wreck

johnpowers

Looks bad one report say 10 dead. 
Thats a bad stretch of road, most drive it like the Daytona 500.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.gainesville.com/news/20190103/seven-die-in-fiery-crash-on-i-75-between-alachua-gainesville%3ftemplate=ampart

Resinhead

Heard a gas truck was involved. 

Yikes.

surfman

Heard a van full of kids, just horrible.

restlessnative

News earlier said 7 dead, 5 of which were children from around 8yo through teenagers. The 2 adults were the drivers of the two semis. Sucks all the way around.

johnpowers

What a mess.  
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.gainesville.com/news/20190104/fhp-releases-details-on-fatal-i-75-crash-that-killed-7%3ftemplate=ampart

tankard

I've said it before and I'll say it again, EVERY fatal accident on that stretch for the past several years has involved at least one semi.

I try to avoid it, nothing but a gauntlet of tractor-trailers.

Cane Pole

90 in the left lane is mandatory around there.

surfman

There are a lot of trucks on that road, probably every third vehicle.

tankard

And that's in the daytime.

After about 9 it's usually at least 90% semis.

MRichardson

Well if you like to have stuff you can't complain about semis. Distribution costs would be very high
if they were restricted on our interstates.  It's the idiots dodging in and around them trying to keep the 
speed at 90+ that cause the accidents.  Just because a semi is in one doesn't mean it's their fault.  

I do find them annoying (can't see anything when you're behind one, you finally pass and then you're behind another within a half mile).  But the real problem is distracted and/or stupid drivers. Of cars.

pottydoc

I would agree with that. I get passed every day on the way to and from work by people driving around 90, and weaving in and out of traffic. Most truck drivers seldom drive much over the speed limit and are very professional. 

stc1993

I got run off the road by a semi on I-4 in Orlando.  I was driving on old ryder box truck.

mindyabiness

I'm sure you guys are like me....I see people staring at their cell phones and driving everywhere. 
I'm guessing.... 30-40% of drivers have a phone in one hand while driving.
You can tell when you get behind someone who is using a cell phone. They are weaving, tapping the brakes, driving off the pavement or out of their lane, it's nuts. 
I'm not saying that's what happened here but it would not surprise me at all.

Bobber

I do the Ft Lauderdale- Tallahassee round trip at least 4 times a year,soon as I exit 75 in Ocala  for Alt 27 my blood pressure drops and I can enjoy the drive. Used to be road trips were something I looked forward to. 
Prayers said for the victims and families.

Turner River Terror

I do the I 75 to Brooksville 10 times a year. 
When we get on 75 my Spanish bride does the sigh of the Cross..every time.
When we jump on 19 up to Perry it's nothing but a relaxing time.
I agree with some of the above posters..It's the Morons in the cars that will kill you , Not the Semi's.

johnpowers

The overwhelming majority of trucks are governed between 65 and 70 mph. Mostly for insurance purposes but also to avoid the blame game of speeding. My trucks are all set at 70mph. I have a couple of them set at 75 mph but those drivers all have over 3 million miles of safe driving.  
 Mindbusines is correct, the distractions are the main cause of accidents. And I’m sure that it was a determining cause here. 

stc1993

In GA It's a $350 fine you get caught with a cell phone driving now.  They started that last July.

The Cat's Eye

The mayhem started when a sedan and a semi going north smashed into one another. Then the semi lost control and both the sedan and the semi went THROUGH the guard rail and took out the Van and another semi going south; and the two semi's burst into flames... Nobody in the sedan died.

swampmonster

Very sad accident and who really was to blame may never be known. I feel many semi drivers are hard working and have a tough job. I see people going slow in the middle lane that block them all the time and these people will not pull to the right lane. There seems to be more traffic on I-75 and less FHP. Some things are beyond my understanding. While driving on I-4 I look over and the lady next to me had her elbows on the wheel while doing makeup and talking on the phone. My daughter in the rear set saw it and warned me to get away from her. 

stc1993

The stretch between Plant City & Tampa on I-4 use to be 1 of the deadliest in FL.

Mister-Jr

I believe I roadways have become too crowded.  In many places, there is not enough room for cars and semis hauling along at high speed on three lines of travel and in some places, like the Florida Turnpike, two lanes. 

Road construction cannot get up with the demand for more space.

saltyreefer

Hell...at 5:30 in the morning on my way to work people are tailgating me (with hardly no traffic on the road) on a 45 mph 4 lane thru town!! i95 here in Melbourne has gotten crowded too. You really need to be a defensive driver with all the clueless out there. I WILL NOT be in any vehicles blind spot!!!! Unfortunately I don't see it getting any better. 

Jonsredfishin

Last Wednesday morning at 3:00AM me and a buddy we’re heading to go duck hunting pulling my boat about 2 miles south of Citra on 441 and had a wrong way driver in a Dodge Charger miss us by a few feet. We slammed on the brakes and swerved at the last second. I called FHP. Dude was flying and kept on going. It can happen anywhere. 

mplspug

I have I seen the news in a few days.  Is it still a homicide investigation?

surfman

stc1993 said:

The stretch between Plant City & Tampa on I-4 use to be 1 of the deadliest in FL.

Something like a dead body every 1.5 mile between Tampa and Orlando.

johnpowers

mplspug said:

I have I seen the news in a few days.  Is it still a homicide investigation?

Anytime there are fatalities there is a investigation. 

johnpowers

swampmonster said:

Very sad accident and who really was to blame may never be known. I feel many semi drivers are hard working and have a tough job. I see people going slow in the middle lane that block them all the time and these people will not pull to the right lane. There seems to be more traffic on I-75 and less FHP. Some things are beyond my understanding. While driving on I-4 I look over and the lady next to me had her elbows on the wheel while doing makeup and talking on the phone. My daughter in the rear set saw it and warned me to get away from her. 

You have a smart daughter. 
I have felt for a long time that today’s automobiles are far more dangerous than those of 20+ years ago. 
 To many distractions and even a low end automobile is very quiet. My old 1984 pickup would let you know your were doing80, my 2018 you don’t even know it till you look at the speedometer. 

MRichardson

stc1993 said:

In GA It's a $350 fine you get caught with a cell phone driving now.  They started that last July.

Seeing as how distracted driving w/a phone is more dangerous than drunk driving, the penalty should be at a minimum 2 months of probation, minimum fine of $300 plus court costs and surcharges, between 1 - 10 days in jail, 40 hours of community service, phone addiction counseling, attendance of driving school that addresses phone/text addicts, attendance of  distracted driver's victim impact panel and suspension of driver's license.

tankard

Word on the street is multiple witnesses report the semi driver aggressively cut off the other car, sending them both through the guard rail.

So, the truck driver was at fault. Surprise effing surprise.

They drive like @$$ h o l e s. It should be legal to shoot at them.

MRichardson

Lol

stc1993

MRichardson said:

stc1993 said:

In GA It's a $350 fine you get caught with a cell phone driving now.  They started that last July.

Seeing as how distracted driving w/a phone is more dangerous than drunk driving, the penalty should be at a minimum 2 months of probation, minimum fine of $300 plus court costs and surcharges, between 1 - 10 days in jail, 40 hours of community service, phone addiction counseling, attendance of driving school that addresses phone/text addicts, attendance of  distracted driver's victim impact panel and suspension of driver's license.

That's 1st offense 2nd offense is $550 fine I believe. I just looked it up I must have read wrong somewhere it's only $50 fine 1st offense & goes up by $50 each offense until 3rd conviction so I guess $150 max fine.  I was going by what I read last July.