Officials: 24 people involved in 15-vehicle crash on State Road 417
SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. - Twenty-four people were involved in a 15-vehicle pile-up that shut down State Road 417 in Seminole County on Saturday, officials said.
The incident reportedly happened near Red Bug Lake Roadjust before 10 p.m. in the southbound lanes of State Road 417. The Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) said that 15 vehicles were involved in the crash.
There were said to be 24 people involved in the crash, six of which were transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
"All 15 vehicles had to be towed," said FHP Lt. Kim Montes. "There was a total of 24 people involved. Luckily, only six were transported."
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Both the Seminole and Oviedo Fire Departments responded to the scene. A mass transport unit was also brought in to help those injured.
"We train for this type of situation frequently. Obviously, we’re professionals and we’re ready to go. This was definitely a team effort situation," Seminole County Battalion Chief Joel Herrera said.
The scene on State Road 417 was clear by 1 a.m., troopers said.
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FHP is investigating the crash. They explained that the investigating trooper was originally told that it appeared that two cars, both being driven by 18-year-old's, were racing southbound on State Road 417. Two cars crashed and the drivers of each vehicle provided a different account of what happened, stating the other driver was driving aggressively towards them.
"We had a witness who called FHP as this crash happened," Montes explained. "She told troopers on-scene that two vehicles appeared to be racing each other southbound on 417."
After the initial crash, FHP said that 13 other vehicles crashed in a chain reaction-type crash.
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Montes added that it's critical that drivers keep their cool behind the wheel, stating "it's not worth it. We tell people don't engage, whether or not someone cuts you off accidentally or on purpose. Somebody's going to have to be the bigger person."
Charges are pending once the FHP investigation ends.
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Editor's note: Law enforcement previously reported that 17 vehicles were involved. The Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) on Sunday reported that it was actually 15 vehicles.