ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – A series of crashes on Interstate 95 overnight in St. Johns County left one man dead and several other people recovering from injuries.
Troopers with the Florida Highway Patrol said at least two vehicles may have been racing along I-95 before the crashes happened.
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The crashes were all near International Golf Parkway on a stretch of highway deemed a "hot spot" by FHP because of the number of deadly crashes there.
St. Johns County had the most fatal crashes in the region along the I-95 corridor last year.
So far this year, there have been more than 150 accidents that resulted in injuries -- three of them were deadly. Last year, there were 150 crashes with injuries and eight were deadly.
Instructors with the Northeast Florida Safety Council said there are a few reasons for having so many crashes on the same stretch of interstate.
The No. 1 cause, they said, is speeding. It's about a 6-mile stretch between International Golf Parkway and County Road 210, without any exits or rest areas, which makes it more likely for drivers to put the pedal to the metal.
"It's not worth saving 10 minutes for the potential of losing your life or putting another person in danger, and that's what's happening all the time on that stretch, no question about it," Safety Council and Department of Transportation instructor Ronald Page said.
Distracted driving is also becoming a bigger problem. The NEFL Safety Council said many rear-end collisions are being caused by drivers texting, reading or grooming while behind the wheel.
"If you take your eyes off the road at 55 mph for just five seconds, you're going to travel the length of a football field, and you just have to make yourself aware of the dangers that are involved with taking your eyes off the road or becoming distracted for any reason," Page said.
The most recent deadly crash happened along I-95 near International Golf Parkway Sunday night. More than 10 vehicles were involved in several pile ups that left one person dead and several others injured. Troopers believe there were vehicles racing prior to the crash.
"It's almost like the same thing that happens on the Buckman Bridge. They get out on that 3-mile stretch across the bridge and it seems like all of a sudden they push the pedal to the metal. The same thing happens out on that stretch of I-95," Page said. "Unfortunately, the police can't always be out there. The troopers do the best job they can, but when they're not out there and they know it, the drivers just break loose."
Instructors with the NEFL Safety Council said crashes can be prevented simply by
following the posted speed limits and being aware of your surroundings.