Massive Pileup on I-4 Due to Controlled Burn
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Most news stories will wait until the last paragraph to tell you that the smoke on I-4 near Polk City this morning was a result of a controlled burn that got out of control. It’s a shame, because once fog rolled in, visibility was cut to zero and in the end at least 50 cars were involved in five to 10 separate pileups that has resulted in at least three fatalities. Twenty of the 50 vehicles were tractor-trailers. At least one tanker caught fire. Hours after the wrecks, rescue workers are still searching for people trapped inside of wreckage.
More than 10 miles of I-4 is shut down and Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said, “Forget the interstate today.” This, even though some reports say the road may open again my mid afternoon. I-4 is a major commuter route in the Bay Area.
Witnesses caught in the snarl report that it took 45 minutes to an hour for police and emergency crews to arrive. One man said he witnessed a man burn to death and heard others screaming and crying.
As an aside, if you have ever driven I-4, you know that people typically drive very fast. It is dangerous in even the best conditions. In the middle of the night and in the very early morning, people tend to drive even faster. Add smoke and fog to the mix and this situation never had a chance of being anything other than a disaster.
I avoid I-4 anytime I can. I usually only take it if I am going to Disney, and even then I get off and use back roads as often as possible.
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