INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — At least four people – including a 7-year-old boy – were killed overnight in a multi-vehicle crash along the interstate, Florida Highway Patrol troopers said. The wreck on the darkened highway led troopers to close all northbound lanes on I-95 for several hours.
The collision involving five vehicles – including a semitruck – happened about 2:15 a.m. Monday near mile marker 153 on northbound I-95, according to troopers. Indian River County Fire Rescue crews responded and pronounced four people dead at the scene: a 37-year-old woman and a 40-year-old man, both from Miami, along with a 40-year-old woman and a 7-year-old boy, both from Palm Bay, officials said.
Assistant Fire Chief Bill Herrington said six other people were taken to hospitals, including a 27-year-old man and a 25-year-old woman, both from Canada. A 42-year-old man, 5-year-old boy, 9-year-old girl and a two-month-old boy, all of Palm Bay, were also hospitalized, troopers said.
A 63-year-old Miami man declined treatment and was released from the scene.
Highway troopers released details about the events leading up to the crash. The collision involved a 2022 grey Chrysler Pacifica, a blue 2009 Toyota Camry, a green 2001 Suzuki Vitara, a grey 2012 Dodge Journey and a black 2006 freightliner semitruck.
The Toyota’s driver was headed north in the outside lane along I-95, approaching mile marker 153. The Toyota was directly behind the Suzuki, troopers said.
For an unknown reason, the Toyota struck the back of the Suzuki, leaving both vehicles disabled on the interstate, troopers said. The Dodge’s driver was traveling north in the center lane toward the damaged vehicles.
The Dodge slammed into the back of the Suzuki and became inoperable, troopers said. The drivers of the Toyota and Suzuki got out of their vehicles to help the occupants in the Dodge.
Then, a northbound semitruck rolled through and struck the Dodge’s left side. This caused a chain reaction effect, with “multiple different impacts with the now pedestrians from the (Toyota) and (Suzuki), as well as the other vehicles in the roadway,” troopers said in a crash report.
“The driver of the Toyota Camry and the driver of the Suzuki Vitara were both struck outside of their vehicles as the freightliner semi passed through the crash scene and consequently suffered fatal injuries,” troopers said.
The impact ejected a person from the Dodge and pushed the vehicle north toward the east shoulder. The Suzuki rotated clockwise before coming to a stop.
The semitruck’s driver swerved to the left and stopped partially in the grass median.
Then, the driver of a northbound Chrysler veered to the left to avoid the crash, but eventually struck the back of the Toyota, troopers said. The Chrysler rotated clockwise before coming to a stop.
The crash remains under investigation.