Blog Written by Chad Hudson, Director of Inquiries at Shipman & Wright:

A catastrophic vehicle pileup on Florida Interstate 75 has killed 10 people and sent at least 18 to the hospital.  The accident occurred around the Gainesville area shortly before 4 a.m. on Sunday morning.  According to officials, the initial cause of the accident is believed to be a mixture of smoke and fog.  The thick milky smoke was spilling onto the interstate from a nearby brush fire that authorities believe was possibly started on purpose.  As the smoke mixed with fog, visibility became virtually nonexistent.  The State Highway Patrol actually closed I-75 for a brief period of time before the accident because of poor visibility.  Once they reopened the interstate, the accident occurred.  Investigators are unsure which collision happened first, or even how many total collisions there were.  Eyewitnesses describe the scene as akin to “the end of the world.”  There were numerous vehicles burning in the aftermath of the impacts, some with individuals trapped inside.  A motorist who pulled off the highway near the accident said he could not see his hand in front of his face; he only heard the screams of injured drivers and passengers and the sounds of vehicles crashing into fuel-fired mangled wreckage.  The first responders to the scene had to locate the injured by following their agonizing cries for help as they could not see anything.  The accidents spread over an entire mile of I-75 in both northbound and southbound lanes.  The interstate was closed until Sunday evening as an investigation was conducted.  Authorities closed the road again Monday morning because of continued visibility issues.  It is uncertain at this moment who and/or what will be held accountable for the accident.  Whichever way it goes, I anticipate the lawsuits will be plentiful.

For more info check out this link:

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505263_162-57368048/cause-of-deadly-florida-crash-sought/?tag=contentMain;contentBody