A pair of wrecks involving up to four vehicles but with relatively minor injuries snarled traffic on I-95 Monday afternoon as rain fell heavily in the area of State Road 100. Both wrecks took place around mile marker 284.
The first wreck occurred at 4:40 p.m., involving an SUV and a Volkswagen. The circumstances of the crash are not clear–Florida Highway Patrol troopers are at the scene, investigating–but the SUV rolled over and ended up on its roof, straddling the emergency lane and the inside lane of the southbound lanes of I-95, just before the bridge over SR100. The Volkswagen, only lightly damaged, was in the emergency lane of the northbound lanes, suggesting that the SUV may have been traveling north and flipped over the guard rail. Some debris and personal belongings from the SUV was visible on the ground in the northbound inside-emergency lane. The VW ended up against a guardrail, facing south, on the northbound side.
That wreck led to at least one injury that, preliminary reports indicate, was not life-threatening. The wreck reduced southbound traffic to two lanes and backed up traffic about a mile and a half by 5 p.m.
At 5:10 p.m., two vehicles were involved in another wreck in the northbound lanes of I-95. That wreck brought northbound traffic to a virtual standstill. Conditions were very poor, with heavy rain falling steadily and dusk making conditions more difficult. Flagler County Fire Rescue and the Palm Coast Fire Department had responded to the wrecks, with the Palm Coast Fire Police regulating traffic on either sides of I0-95.
Shortly after the second wreck on I-95, yet another wreck was reported on Old Kings Road, near McDonald’s by Palm Coast Parkway, further stretching emergency responders. FHP was reporting that ,many of its troopers were involved in crash investigations in Flagler, Putnam, Duval and St. Johns counties.
Heading North says
Yup – it’s raining real hard Sooooo let’s drive faster, and get closer to the guy ahead of us, or pass the one driving at a reasonable speed for a downpour! Oh and yes– don’t bother to turn on the headlights as required by law, because you don’t care if the other guy can see you!
Thankfully no serious injuries!
Welcome to Florida!!!
Anonymous says
People in Florida do not know how to drive in the rain, slow down people!!
Anonymous says
Also, ever notice how Everyone and his brother decides he needs to go joyriding when it’s raining cats and dogs? Heavy rain should dissuade people from driving in it unnecessarily, but sometimes it seems to have the opposite effect.
Anonymous says
Welcome to Fl?
confidential says
Slow down on rainy days folks!
Shawn says
In Palm Coast it would seem that most of those “people” are not from Florida, as stated “Welcome to Florida”!
Nalla C. says
Seriously–I saw that mess yesterday, it’s a wonder no one died in that minivan. People need to SLOW DOWN in bad conditions and they don’t. It gets old.
GY says
Most people in Florida did not learn to drive in Florida. hmmmm?
William Dunphy says
It’s all them old people on the road !!!!!!
Ken Dodge says
Murphy’s Law of Poor Weather Driving: Increasing speed in poor conditions enables one to reach their destination sooner, thereby shortening the time one is on the road in such conditions.