Fatal crash in Collier County closes all northbound lanes on I-75 for several hours
MIAMI – All northbound lanes of Interstate 75, known as Alligator Alley, closed for several hours on Tuesday following a deadly crash involving a vehicle and two pedestrians, Florida Highway Patrol said.
The incident took place shortly after 11 a.m near mile marker 72 in Collier County. One pedestrian died and the other one was taken to a local hospital, FHP Lt. Gregory S. Bueno said.
According to FHP, the driver, identified as 37-year-old Darian Camacho, a Miami resident, was traveling northbound on a 2012 silver Chrysler Town and Country van when he fell asleep and drifted onto the inside shoulder.
Camacho collided with multiple cable barrier support beams as his vehicle partially slid under the cable barrier. The van then hit a construction sign, which became lodged in the front of the vehicle.
The driver also struck an unidentified 39-year-old male, whose body was projected forward due to the force of the impact and ended up in the northbound inside lane of I-75. He was pronounced dead on the scene, FHP said.
A second pedestrian was struck by debris from the crash and sustained a minor injury.
Camacho was arrested and booked into the Collier County Jail. He faces a felony charge of driving without a license causing death, and a misdemeanor charge of attaching a license plate not assigned to a vehicle.
To manage traffic, the Florida Department of Transportation, along with local and state law enforcement, diverted all northbound traffic from the Miami and Fort Lauderdale areas to Exit 49 (Snake Road) in Broward County.
Drivers near the crash site were redirected southbound via the crossover at mile marker 72.
Alligator Alley is 80 miles long and runs from Naples to Broward.
Updated information can be found at fl511.com.
