Dense Fog — Volusia, Florida

2022-03-03 · Volusia, Florida

Event narrative

Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) reported five (5) separate accidents involving 17 vehicles on Interstate 95 at or just south of mile marker 244 (near State Road 442) at approximately 0130LST. In total there were three fatalities and 10 injuries as a result of these crashes. In the northbound lanes, four separate crashes occurred involving 11 vehicles, resulting in one fatality. In the southbound lanes, there was one crash involving six vehicles - one SUV, one van, and four tractor trailers. There were two fatalities, one being the driver of the SUV and the other a driver of one of the tractor trailers. Several people were trapped in their vehicles and had to be extricated. A child was airlifted to Orlando Health Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children in stable condition, and nine other victims were taken to the Halifax Health Medical Center in Daytona Beach with non-life-threatening injuries. An 18 mile stretch of Interstate 95 was closed for most of the day from State Road 44 in Volusia County (near Edgewater) to County Road 5A in Brevard County (near Scottsmoor). Two tractor trailers that collided in the southbound lanes caught on fire, which resulted in extensive damage to the roadway that had to be repaved before reopening to traffic.

Wider weather episode

A localized superfog event occurred along Interstate 95 near Edgewater in Volusia County. Residual smoke from a nearby prescribed burn from the previous day combined with fog to create near-zero visibility conditions. This resulted in five separate accidents on both travel lanes of the Interstate that involved 17 vehicles at, and just south of mile marker 244. There were three fatalities and 10 injuries.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1002075. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.