String of crashes on I-4 near Sanford has drivers concerned

Deadly week on I-4: multiple car crashes and deaths, civilians fear

Multiple car accidents and deaths have occurred on I-4 in the same week, some deaths occurred only miles away from each other. Civilians say they fear driving on the interstate.

SANFORD, Fla. - The Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) responded to three major incidents on Interstate 4 at mile marker 101 this week in Sanford, leaving drivers concerned.

On Monday, an SUV hit a semi-truck stopped for traffic, according to a report. Troopers said the driver of the SUV, a 36-year-old Orlando man, died at the scene.

Then on Wednesday, there was another fatality. FHP said a 7-year-old girl died after the car she was in was rear-ended by another car.

"At the last second, he kind of swerved a little bit to the left. The child was sitting in the left rear of the vehicle, was buckled in, doing everything they were supposed to do," said Lt. Channing Taylor.

With the spike in incidents, the agency and FDOT are looking into similarities; however, Lt. Taylor said they believe some obvious factors could be at play.

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"A lot of visitors to Florida, a lot of people traveling to and from work. We also have areas that are under construction as well. So all that in combination with the fact that it’s one of the busiest roadways in Florida," he said.

FHP said drivers will notice more troopers patrolling the area following the string of crashes. Drivers like Michael Gomez said they are taking their own safety measures.

"In fact, it makes me take the local roads. It’s a little bit longer on my commute, but sometimes it’s just fear of hopping on the highway," he said.