Pickup Crashes into Construction Vehicle, Catches Fire on I-4 in Orlando

By Orlando Personal Injury Attorney on February 2, 2021

A violent and fiery crash that took place early in the morning on Friday, January 22^nd, in downtown Orlando resulted in massive traffic blockages and gridlock along the western lanes of the heavily trafficked Interstate 4. According to reports from the Florida Highway Patrol, the incident took place shortly before 7:00 in the morning, as many motorists were making their way from their homes to their places of work. One of these vehicles, a SGL construction truck, was hauling numerous pieces of construction material from the ongoing I-4 Ultimate project when the driver of this enormous vehicle attempted to merge into the western lanes of I-4.

At the moment when the driver of the truck began to merge, a pickup truck raced down the road and struck the much larger construction vehicle. The force of the crash caused the pickup to roll over into traffic, striking another car as it did. The pickup truck then burst into flames.

Witnesses to the crash were able to rush to the pickup and pull the driver of this vehicle to safety before their life was taken by the swiftly spreading flames. Other people placed calls to emergency personnel who rushed to the scene of the accident in order to extinguish the fire, reroute traffic, tend to the injured, and investigate the crash site to determine culpability. By the time the paramedics and EMTs arrived, everyone involved in the crash was safely away from the burning vehicle. Additionally, the reports from the Florida Highway Patrol appear to indicate that the only person who suffered from any injuries as a result of the collision was the driver of the pickup truck. This person was transported from the crash site to a nearby hospital. It was additionally reported that they were conscious and communicative throughout this process, leading us to believe that their injuries, while not minor, were also non-life-threatening.

While the emergency response to the crash was underway, all lanes of westbound I-4 were closed in the area. This resulted in massive backups and delays for Friday commuters. It was not until nearly two hours later, at around 8:45 a.m. That all lanes of the interstate were operating again as normal.

Sources:

• Fiery crash on I-4 near Lee Road causes major traffic jam into Orlando

James O. Cunningham

Since 1977, personal injury lawyer James Cunningham has provided effective legal advocacy to people who are injured through the negligent actions of another person or entity throughout the Central Florida area. He fights to obtain recoveries for his clients’ physical and emotional pain and suffering and pursues his clients’ personal injury cases with a commitment to excellence and impeccable preparation.