Deadly crash involving cement truck closes southbound I-75 in Sarasota County

VENICE, Fla. - A cement truck driver is dead following a crash on Interstate 75 in Venice on Monday morning. 

As traffic crawled to a halt on I-75 in Sarasota County, Jeffrey Vero was one of thousands of drivers stuck. 

"It was about 2 and a half hours. We actually just sat in the right lane, just waited. Waited it out. There was no moving," he said. 

I-75 southbound near Laurel Road shut down for 6 hours. Troopers sifted through yards of debris. 

"We want to make sure we have the chronological order of the events in which they occurred that way it will help us put all the pieces of the puzzle together," said Trooper Ken Watson. 

Troopers said an accident one exit up at Jacaranda Boulevard caused a sea of bumper lights. For some reason, a cement truck kept going. 

The 46-year-old driver from Port Charlotte never stopped and troopers said he plowed into 5 other vehicles. 
The impact caused him to overturn and killed the driver. 

"Based on the fact that that tractor-trailer is so much higher than everyone else, he should have observed all of that traffic slowing, if not at a complete standstill," said Trooper Watson. 

The truck driver was killed. Two others were taken to Doctor's Hospital. The accident caused a mess, claimed a life and troopers said it's a warning to all drivers. 

"This is our season. You have to remember that spring break is now, everyone is going to work. Going to the beach, heading out early in the morning. We will always have heavy traffic during this time of day. We need to be careful, we need to pay attention and we need to make sure both hands are on the wheel," said Trooper Watson.