I-4 tragedy

[ILoveDisney&Cruising]

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news...1092008,0,7343581.story?coll=orl_tab01_layout

 

[loveDmouse]

How tragic. Saying prayers for all those involved.

 

[BigDaddyRog]

"....conditions weren't THAT bad.." ummmm, apparently they WERE that bad.

 

[nana2tots]

Oh my Goodness, how awful

 

[stacktester]

My aunt left late last night for Venice going to a horseshow and was pulling 3 horses. She went thru that stretch of I-4 from what she figures about 30 minutes before the accident. She had stopped along the way to get another horse which took about 30 minutes. I guess it's one of those things where somebody's clock just wasn't ready to quit ticking. I sure hate to hear about these things. The aerials looked like quite a few semi's were involved.

 

[ntsammy5]

I hate that road! All you ever see on it are accidents!

 

[kimluvswdw]

This is why I am forever yelling at my husband to slow down in the fog. Some of those people probably never saw it coming until it was too late.

 

[BigDaddyRog]

This is why I am forever yelling at my husband to slow down in the fog. Some of those people probably never saw it coming until it was too late.

It was foggy as all get out on our way home from disney this last trip. There's not alot of things in this world that really frighten me...but put me on an unfamiliar road in heavy fog at night and Im a trembling maniacal freak. I try to calm myself, thinking "face your fears"...its all in my head. Then ya get news like this on I-4....guess its not just in my head.

 

[loveDmouse]

People really need to learn to slow down when the weather is bad. We do and people will still go by flying. There is no where you need to get that it is worth killing someone or getting yourself killed. No where.
The roads are a scary place if you ask me. There are so many idiots on the road. You really have to be watching out for everyone else.
Everytime we have been on I-4 the traffic has been bad. Doesn't seem to matter what time you are on it. We don't have any other choice coming from the North down 95 (that I know of) either. Have to take I-4.
Makes me nuts!

 

[ynottony99]

This time of year we have to contend with a lot of fog here. I have to say the conditions seen in that video from the air, even hours after the accidents was awful. I was just discussing the dangers, the do's and don'ts with my 16 year old (almost ready to drive), DD the other day as we passed through some thick stuff, but wow that is just awful. I-4 has been greatly improved in the last few years. They apparently didn't anticipate the amount of traffic it would carry when they built it. Years ago, we could almost bank on some significant delay on I-4. Now most trips are smooth sailing. Of course no amount of engineering can prevent this sort of tragedy.

 

[des1954]

I live about 6 miles from this accident site. I heard a multitude of sirens from the time I awoke at 6:30 this morning. The main Hwy my subdivision is on (SR 33) was bumper-to-bumper when I left for work at 8:15 (normally, there is very little traffic). Because I don't turn TV on in the AM, I had no idea what was going on. My work location is 3 blocks from Lakeland Regional Hospital, where most of the ambulances were going. There was a non-stop stream of emergency vehicles, coming and going, until about 1:00pm. I think I had to pull off the road 6 times in an 11 mile stretch to let ambulances pass when driving to work.

When I arrived at work (I'm a church secretary), some of our ladies were there for a meeting and literally screamed for joy when I walked into my office, because some of them thought I might have been involved in the accident (at this point, I still didn't know about it).

I'm home now (4:00pm) and our local NBC (WFLA - Channel 8) affiliate had a news-break stating that I-4 was still closed, and that all the bodies had not been recovered. I do not know how many were killed. (Maybe the officials don't know yet, either.) They say 50 to 60 vehicles were involved. An eyewitness said the fog was so thick this morning that you literally could not see the front of your vehicle.

The fog was caused by a combination of things. Early morning fog is very normal in Florida through January/February. This was intensified by smoke from a controlled burn in the area (that went out of control) on Tuesday. They say that the smoke further attracted moisture from the air which made the fog extremely dense. When I saw a news video online, it looked like the area had been covered by a thick blanket of snow.

Traffic both east & west bound on I-4 has been diverted to alternate routes. No estimate is being given at this time as to when I-4 will be re-opened.

Very sad.

 

[des1954]

Another update: 3 are confirmed dead. 5 are in critical condition and not expected to live. 38 other people were transported by ambulance to local hospitals. There were a total of 70 vehicles involved on east bound I-4.

A Polk County Sheriff was dispatched to investigate "an accident" at 4:55am. When he approached the site, he stopped his vehicle on the shoulder due to the fog. His car was immediately rear-ended by another car. When he got out of his car to check on the driver that hit him, another vehicle rear-ended the car that rear-ended the sheriff!! He got back into his patrol car to protect himself. At that point, the pandamonium broke loose. One tanker caught fire & caused other vehicles to catch on fire. You can still see some smoke from this accident at my home. (And this some 12 hours later.)

I can't believe the carnage I just saw on TV.

5:00PM Update: A fourth person is now dead - they just found the body. The names are not being released. A US Postal semi was involved & mail was strewn all over the high-way. Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said that there were actually 10 separate crashes, involving 70+ vehicles. He also said that the fog was so dense that you could not see your feet! Wow.

Another issue - many vehicles were so damaged, that it is going to be extremely difficult for people to identify their own vehicles! Insurance nightmare!

 

[ynottony99]

I also just heard on local news that authorities will not comment on the role of the 'controlled burn' gone bad. They expect it to take weeks, maybe months to complete the investigation.

 

[LONE-STAR]

I hate to see stories like this it will affect so many people for so long. On our last trip to WDW we saw 4 wreaks. In 3 of them at least 2 suv's were on there roof. We pulled up just after it happen every time. Having a wreak on the way to FW has always been a concern of mine so far from home what a mess. Even if every body is ok which is what I always want above all else. As a camper your trip is pretty much done. If my truck is not drivable, its not like I can go to a rent-a-car and get a truck thats ready to pull a 5er thats been converted to a goose neck. Not to mention if its your trailer that gets destroyed and your stuff is all over the highway. Just something I always thank about when we are leaving on a trip. You just never know what will happen.

 

[F4disneyfan]

This sopunds like the 82 car pileup on the 401 outside Windsor Ontario that killed 7 people including one lady and I think her daughter that burned alive in their car.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/1999/09/04/crash990904.html

 

[carrinas1018]

Such a tragedy! I have been watching updates on the news all day. Those people had no idea what they were about to run into. I heard when they were removing one of the people from a wreckage, the firefighter/EMT let him use his cell phone to call his wife because they weren't sure he would make it I am always semi-nervous while driving around here (crazy drivers everywhere!) & this is one of my worst nightmares. My husband drives a car hauler & I received many calls today to make sure he wasn't one of the ones involved. So Sad...I am curious to see how they investigate the "controlled burn" that got out of hand. Apparently there were some livestock in one of the trucks also & all you could make out of it was the frame.

 

[des1954]

This sopunds like the 82 car pileup on the 401 outside Windsor Ontario that killed 7 people including one lady and I think her daughter that burned alive in their car.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/1999/09/04/crash990904.html

I've driven that stretch of highway. It's been a while back, but it was always testy around the larger cities.

The worst is the Gardenier Pkwy in and around Toronto. That rates up there with the by-passes around Washington DC and Atlanta, Ga.

 

[tim5055]

Latest news...

Sarah Langbein | Sentinel Staff Writer
7:21 PM EST, January 9, 2008

Interstate 4's deadly pileup claimed its fourth life this afternoon.

Disney officials confirmed that one of its employees died in the accident. Darren Scott Snyder worked in engineering services on the maintenance team at the Animal Kingdom.

 

[F4disneyfan]

I've driven that stretch of highway. It's been a while back, but it was always testy around the larger cities.

The worst is the Gardenier Pkwy in and around Toronto. That rates up there with the by-passes around Washington DC and Atlanta, Ga.

I love driving in the GTA my wife hates it though she thinks everyone is out to run us off the road. The Gardiner Expressway was closed almost the entire summer and into October.
We never take the bypass around Atlanta when we drive I-75 to Florida we just drive straight through Atlanta I quite enjoy it. So what were you in Toronto and area for?

 

[des1954]

So what were you in Toronto and area for?

I grew up outside Niagara Falls, NY (North Tonawanda), and still have 2 brothers in the area (NTSammy5 being one of them). Whenever we go back to visit WNY, a trip to Toronto is a must for me! I love the Zoo & the Science Museum & just to wander around Young St.

When I was a kid my father used to take us up to the Sportsman & Outdoor Exhibition - which was always exciting when you are 7-12 years old. I loved watching the dog field trials in the arena. I think this was held in the CNE Complex - but I'm not even sure that complex is there anymore.

Also, the day after our high-school's senior prom a day trip to the Toronto Islands was a tradition. You either went there or to Letchworth State Park in NY.

I haven't been to Toronto since the mid-90's. I think I'm over-due!!