- April 26, 2024
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As of the morning of June 1, all lanes of Interstate 95 are now open, following a May 31 crash that engulfed numerous vehicles in flames and resulted in four deaths.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, at about 7:25 p.m. May 1, a semi/tractor trailer driven by 50-year-old Barbara Pennington, of Lakeland, failed to stop for traffic that was backed up after a fatal crash at Mile Marker 288 on I-95 earlier in the evening. At Mile Marker 301, Pennington struck the rear of several vehicles, causing a chain reaction of collisions. Investigators confirmed that eight passenger vehicles and three commercial vehicles were involved.
Due to the collision, two semi trucks caught fire and one passenger car. At least four people were killed:
Palm Coast resident Nilda Valentine Rivera, 41
Palm Coast resident Kristin J. Ruiz, 25
Jacksonville resident Jonathan Jay Ruiz, 1
Lakeland resident Barbara Pennington, 41
The following residents sustained injuries:
Palm Coast resident Randolph Anthony Smiroldo, 54 (critical injuries)
Greenville, South Carolina, resident Joel Vanwingerden, 55 (minor injuries)
Greenville, South Carolina, resident Rebecca Lynn Vanwingerden (minor injuries)
Ormond Beach resident Jillian Whitsitt Miller, 32 (minor injuries)
The FHP also reported that once the scene has been cleared, inspectors from the Florida Department of Transportation will inspect the roadway surface to ensure safe vehicular travel. If the roadway surface has been damaged to prohibit the safe operation, inspectors will initiate emergency repairs to the roadway.
