Severe weather leads to series of crashes on I-10, leaving one critically injured

 A string of collisions during heavy rain left one person critically injured and caused significant traffic disruptions near mile marker 185 on Tuesday evening. The accidents occurred shortly after 6:30 p.m., as reported by the Florida Highway Patrol.
According to a news release from the agency, the chain reaction of crashes began when a single vehicle lost control and struck a guardrail, likely due to the wet road conditions. The initial crash triggered a second, larger accident involving four semi-trucks and three other vehicles, impacting traffic in both directions on the interstate. Florida Highway Patrol Master Cpl. Patricia Jefferson-Shaw reported that the rainy weather was a major factor in causing the wrecks. Despite the need for an airlift to transport the critically injured person, the helicopter was unable to land because of the adverse weather conditions. The second crash occurred when a semi-truck, driven by a 54-year-old from Kannapolis, failed to slow down as it approached the scene of the initial accident. This led to a multi-vehicle pileup involving three more semi-trucks and a pickup truck. One of the semi-trucks broke through the median and came to a stop, blocking the eastbound lanes. Another semi-truck, driven by a 48-year-old from Houston, crashed head-on into a tree on the north shoulder, resulting in a serious head injury. Meanwhile, a third semi-truck managed to stop in the median, and the fourth semi-truck, along with the pickup, ended up obstructing the westbound lanes. As the chaos continued, a third crash involving two additional vehicles occurred, though only minor injuries were reported, according to Florida Highway Patrol.