Accident On I-4 | Comment | Photos | Map | Traffic Updates

1 Polk Road Closes; Others Reopen

Posted Jan 10, 2008 by TBO.com

Updated Jan 10, 2008 at 09:48 AM

Roads, other than Interstate 4, closed by fog this morning in Polk County have reopened; however, low visibility has forced another road to close.

I-4 will remain shut down from the east end of the Polk Parkway to U.S. 27, and authorities say they have no idea when it will open.

The Polk County Sheriff’s Office has closed Old Grade Road between Fussell Road and I-4 until further notice.

The opened roads are:

* Polk City Road from Lake Lowery Road to C.R. 557
* County Road 557 from the 557-557A juncture to I-4
* County Road 557A from the 557-557A juncture to C.R. 559
* County Road 559 from Gapway Road to I-4

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Forecast Calls For Less Fog

Posted Jan 10, 2008 by TBO.com

Updated Jan 10, 2008 at 09:36 AM

A shift in the weather should reduce the chance of fog on Friday morning and into next week. There still may be some patches of fog away from the coast, but they should not be as thick or widespread.

The weather service does not expect visibility to fall as much as it has lately.

An approaching cool front is forecast to bring clouds that would prevent temperatures from falling low enough overnight to produce the fog. Clouds trap heat radiating from the ground at night and keep temperatures from dropping to the level at which moisture condenses and creates fog.

After the front comes through and is reinforced by another that may move in during the weekend, dry air will replace the more humid mix that’s been present lately.

Enough moisture to form widespread fog probably won’t return until next week, possibly as late as Wednesday.

The weather service did caution that any smoldering fires in the area of the Green Swamp in Polk County near U.S. 27 could spill smoke over roads and mix with patches of fog, creating visibility of only a few feet. Some blame a thick mixture of smoke and fog for Wednesday’s deadly series of collisions on Interstate 4.

The combination of smoke and fog creates a mix that is more dense than either separately.

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Authorities Await Confirmation Of Victims’ Identities

Posted Jan 10, 2008 by Billy Townsend

Updated Jan 10, 2008 at 08:56 AM

Investigators think they know the identities of all four people killed in the Interstate 4 pileup, but they are awaiting medical records for confirmation on three of them, said Larry Coggins, spokesman for the Florida Highway Patrol.

The three were badly burned in the collisions. Darren Scott Snyder, a Walt Disney World employee, was identified late Wednesday as one of the victims.

Thirty eight people were injured and more than 100 were involved in the pileup.

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Too Foggy To Work

Posted Jan 10, 2008 by Chip Osowski and Billy Townsend

Updated Jan 10, 2008 at 10:40 AM

Crews repairing the melted, charred asphalt left by Wednesday’s flaming wrecks on Interstate 4 got about 7 1/2 hours of work in Wednesday night and early this morning.

About 3:30 a.m., fog rolled in, cutting visibility and making it impossible to work.

Workers with the state Department of Transportation were doing milling work, tearing up and resurfacing a scorched layer of asphalt along a 650-foot stretch of the road that was damaged in the initial collision of 43 vehicles.

Hazardous materials workers also had to clean up 4,000 gallons of oil that spilled from a tanker involved in the crash, said DOT spokeswoman Cindy Clemmons-Adente.

The crews suspended their tasks and will resume as soon as the foggy conditions ease.

The weather service says that may not happen until about 10 a.m.

The Polk County Sheriff’s Office says there is no word on when I-4 will reopen.

Polk County schools are open, but buses may be running late because of traffic jams caused by the closing of I-4.

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A Horrific Scene

Posted Jan 10, 2008 by Keith Morelli

Updated Jan 10, 2008 at 11:02 AM

With the dust settling along the Interstate 4 war zone this morning, people involved in Wednesday morning’s wreck were trying to put the mess in perspective.

Kevin Wilson escaped serious injury along with his young son, but the images will stick with him forever.

“It was very horrific,” he told “The Today Show” in a segment broadcast live this morning.

He recounted how he smashed into a car in front of him in dense fog and possibly smoke from a nearby brush fire. His driver’s side window blew out, and he suffered cuts. His swollen left eye was the result of the airbag deploying.

“I stayed in the vehicle for 10 to 15 minutes,” he said in the interview.

“It was very bad,” he said. “I saw people screaming and yelling, ‘Help me. Help me.’ “

Polk County Fire Rescue Lt. Colin Fredericks told “The Today Show” that he has worked for the rescue service for years and even served in Iraq.

“This is the worst I or my crew has seen,” he said.

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