Sulfur Spilled Onto Interstate After Semi-Truck Crash in Ocala

By Orlando Personal Injury Attorney on August 8, 2023

Marion County clean-up crews and HAZMAT teams worked for several hours late Monday evening to reopen a section of Interstate 75 in Ocala after a semi-truck spilled sulfur during an accident with another vehicle.

According to reports from the Florida Highway Patrol, it was close to 11:15 p.m. on August 7, 2023, when a 38-year-old truck driver from Pensacola was hauling rock-form sulfur down the southbound lanes of I-75. As the semi-truck approached the area near the U.S. 27 exit ramp, authorities believe the driver attempted to move from the right lane to the center lane, but did not see a 21-year-old woman from Anthony driving a Toyota Camry who was positioned in his direct path. The semi-truck struck the passenger’s side of the Camry, then slammed into a concrete safety barrier along the interstate. The impact from the secondary collision caused approximately 21 tons of rock-form sulfur to spill out onto the shoulder of the U.S. 27 exit ramp.

Troopers with the Florida Highway Patrol and Marion County medical personnel were dispatched to the scene of the trucking accident and quickly transported the driver of the semi-truck to HCA Florida Ocala Hospital with minor injuries. He is expected to make a full recovery and has since been released from the hospital.

The 21-year-old driver of the Toyota Camry was unharmed during the incident.

As of this morning, the exit from Interstate 75 at mile marker 354 to Blitchton Road/U.S. 27 remains closed. Drivers are urged to use Northwest 60th Avenue as a local detour.

Hazmat companies from several neighboring counties have been called in to assist local teams with the rock-form sulfur removal process. Prolonged exposure to this substance can lead to serious health risks when not wearing the proper protective equipment.

Although no one was seriously injured during this collision, accidents involving semi-trucks typically do not have such a happy ending mainly due to the sheer size of the vehicle itself. Small passenger vehicles are simply no match for semi-trucks, especially when travelling at higher rates of speed on an interstate.

Since 1977, Ocala auto accident attorney James O. Cunningham has been fighting for the rights of victims who have been severely injured during a collision with a semi-truck. To schedule a free 30-minute case evaluation, please contact us today at 877-FL-INJURY.

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.