JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Two people were injured, according to troopers, after a semitruck overturned on westbound Interstate 10 just before Chaffee Road, causing a fuel leak that shut down the interstate for hours Tuesday morning during rush hour as the Hazmat team was called to clean up the spill and crews worked to get the semi back upright.
The crash was first reported by the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department about 5:45 a.m.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, the crash involved three vehicles: the semi, a Hyundai Sonata and a Kia Sedona. Troopers said the Hyundai was traveling in the left lane of westbound I-10 and attempted to change lanes when it collided with the Kia in the center lane. Troopers said the driver of the Hyundai lost control and then struck the semi, which was in the right lane. That caused the semi to overturn, blocking all westbound lanes of I-10, troopers said.
An FHP news release states the driver of the Hyundai -- a 22-year-old Jacksonville woman -- and the driver of the semi -- a 68-year-old Jacksonville man -- were transported to UF Health with injuries that were described as serious but non-life-threatening.
The news release shows the third driver -- a 37-year-old Jacksonville woman -- was not hurt.
Crews are responding to a traffic accident on I-10 westbound just before Chaffee rd involving multiple injuries and an over turned semi with a fuel leak…multiple units are enroute including the hazmat team…expect delays in the area. @FHPJacksonville
— THEJFRD (@THEJFRD) March 22, 2022
JFRD said just after 7 a.m. that crews had gotten the fuel spill under control and would be leaving the scene. Around 8 a.m., crews were able to get the semi back upright so it could be removed from the scene and lanes could be reopened.
One lane reopened around 9 a.m., allowing the parking lot of vehicles that had been stranded for hours to finally begin slowly passing the scene.
JSO said just before 7 a.m. that lanes were closed eastbound also at Hammond Boulevard and drivers were being redirected onto Hammond. It appeared on traffic cameras that some vehicles were still getting through eastbound, but several lanes were blocked because of a separate crash.
Later it appeared the lanes had reopened but traffic remained slow eastbound.
An alternate route drivers could take was Hammond Boulevard to Beaver Street, although a crash was also been reported along that route since the detour began.
Drivers heading westbound on I-10 could take the I-295 beltway, but there was also a crash along that route.
