An October 22 multi-vehicle truck accident on I-595 near Davie was quickly followed by another multi-car accident, when drivers veered and swerved in a vain attempt to avoid the first crash, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. The resulting mess ended with a chlorine spill, five drivers being ticketed and three hours of snarled traffic.
According to Sergeant Mark Wysocky, a spokesperson for the FHP, the first wreck occurred before 8 a.m. on Friday, just as rush hour was beginning. Three vehicles, one of them a pool-cleaning truck filled with at least 30 gallons of chlorine, collided on the westbound side of I-595 between South Pine Island Road and Nob Hill Road in Broward County.
Just after the initial truck accident, five other vehicles crashed as they tried to avoid the mess. No serious injuries were reported in either pileup.
The pool-cleaning truck accident required the FHP to close the westbound lanes of I-595 for nearly three hours in order to allow a Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue hazardous materials crew to clean up the chlorine and other acidic pool chemicals that poured from the pool maintenance truck.
Westbound rush-hour drivers were forced to detour onto South Pine Island Road. “Rubberneckers” on the other side of the Interstate caused eastbound traffic to experience significant delays, as well. Normal traffic was reportedly restored by approximately 10:40 a.m.
The driver of the pool-cleaning truck was cited with failure to use due care, leading to the initial truck accident, said Wysocky. Four of the drivers involved in the second multi-car pileup were also ticketed for failure to use due care.
Source: CBS 4 News, “Chemical Spill Bogged Down Traffic On I-595,” October 22, 2010
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