Florida car pileup claims 10 lives

A massive car pileup in Gainesville, Florida over the weekend sent 18 people to the hospital and claimed the lives of 10 people.

The accident happened around 3 am Sunday morning on Interstate 75. Dense fog in the area and smoke from nearby brush fires lowered visibility significantly. Florida Highway Patrol shut down a stretch of the interstate due to the dangerously low levels of visibility for several hours.

Less than a quarter hour after reopening the highway, at least a dozen cars, six tractor-trailers, and a motor home collided. Witnesses recall seeing cars struck multiple times, cars wedged under the tractor-trailers, and cars bursting into flames. It was so difficult to see that rescue crews could only find victims by following the sounds of their screams.

Our deepest sympathies are with the family and friends of those affected by the accident.