Six-Vehicle Accident on I-10 in Walton County Seriously Injures Three Drivers

An early morning auto accident involving six vehicles severely injured three individuals this past Tuesday along Interstate 10 near Ponce De Leon in Walton County, according to preliminary reports from troopers with the Florida Highway Patrol.

Media publications from Florida news outlets indicate that it was approximately 5:36 a.m. on February 8, 2022, when a semi traveling in the westbound direction of I-10 attempted to pass a slower-moving pickup truck. As the driver performed this commonly-used maneuver, a trailer that was attached to the pickup began to unexpectedly swerve back and forth. Before the semi-truck could get out of the way, the trailer slammed into the right-hand side of the big rig. This initial collision caused the semi to jackknife and roll over onto the grassy shoulder of the incredibly busy interstate. The pickup truck driver wasn’t able to regain control of his vehicle and it rolled over onto its side before finally coming to a stop within both lanes of the westbound traffic.

Moments later, a 28-year-old man from Ponce De Leon, who wasn’t able to see the accident ahead of him, crashed into the pickup truck that was obscuring the roadway. Just a few minutes later, a vehicle that was being driven by a 54-year-old resident of Texas also collided with the pickup which caused his vehicle to veer off of the interstate and into a nearby tree. Shortly thereafter, a fifth vehicle entered the area and tried to avoid the upcoming multi-vehicle pileup but instead overcorrected and also overturned. Lastly, another big rig that was driving down I-10 tried to slow down in order to bypass the incident but unfortunately crashed into the semi-truck that was involved in the first collision.

Multiple law enforcement agencies from Walton County were dispatched to the scene of the six-vehicle crash, including members of the Walton County Fire and EMS, the Walton County Sheriff’s Office, the Argyle Fire Rescue, as well as authorities with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, the Florida Department of Transportation, and the Walton County Emergency Management. The 54-year-old man from Texas, his 56-year-old female passenger, and the 28-year-old Ponce De Leon resident were all transported to a local hospital with several injuries ranging from critical to serious.

The cause of this accident is still under investigation.

James O. Cunningham

Since 1977, personal injury lawyer James Cunningham has provided effective legal advocacy to people who are injured through the negligent actions of another person or entity throughout the Central Florida area. He fights to obtain recoveries for his clients’ physical and emotional pain and suffering and pursues his clients’ personal injury cases with a commitment to excellence and impeccable preparation.