6 killed after fiery crash on Florida highway

Two big rigs and two passenger vehicles collided and spilled diesel fuel across a Florida highway Thursday, sparking a massive fire that killed six people, authorities said.

The wreck happened on Interstate 75 about a mile south of Alachua, near Gainesville. The flames were fed by about 50 gallons of diesel, authorities said.

Eight other people were taken to the hospital, some with critical injuries, the Gainesville Sun reported.

Donna Gruosso was driving home from Atlanta when she came upon the accident scene.

“When we first pulled up there was just a bit of smoke and people were pulling over. We didn’t witness the actual accident and didn’t realize exactly what happened,” she said. “As we sat there trying to assess the situation, we heard some explosions and there was more fire and smoke. People were running and cars started to turn around. We were feeling panicked because we were so close and were afraid of what could happen.”

Emergency crews extinguished the fire and said they were treating the crash as a homicide investigation. The fire was so intense that authorities said it damaged parts of the road.

A spokesman for the Florida Highway Patrol told The Associated Press in a phone interview that their top priorities were to conduct a thorough investigation and to identify the deceased victims.

“There’s going to be families that need to be notified that their loves ones have perished,” said Lieutenant P.V. Riordan.

It’s unclear whether the victims were killed in the wreck or whether they burned in the fire, which would make identification more difficult, he said.

The aftermath closed part of the highway in both directions, causing massive delays.

The crash was in the northbound lanes, but southbound lanes were closed to keep a route open for first responders, according to a tweet from the Alachua County Sherriff’s office, which said the emergency “required all hands on deck.” Authorities warned of a lengthy closure.

Debris including personal property and vehicle parts was scattered across the road, the Florida Highway Patrol said.

A helicopter arrived to search for any victims who may have been in nearby woods.