MIRAMAR, Fla. — A dump truck slammed into a pole on Florida’s Turnpike in Miramar Thursday morning, spilling sand across eight lanes of traffic and sending two drivers to the hospital, officials said.
The crash happened just after 8:30 a.m. in the southbound lanes near University Drive, according to Miramar Fire Rescue.
Crews arrived to find what remained of the dump truck’s cab nearly destroyed from the impact.
The force of the collision caused the truck’s engine to separate from the vehicle and go airborne over a concrete barrier, striking at least one car in the northbound lanes, authorities said.
“When I got to the end it looked like about three cars were hit. The truck looked like it smashed into the wall,” said Ismail Hamideh, a driver who witnessed the crash. “The engine looked like it flew about 30 feet.”
Another vehicle in the southbound lanes was also damaged. Both cars were covered in sand after the truck’s load spilled across the Turnpike.
MFR officials confirmed that one of the drivers was rushed to Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood as a trauma alert.
They said the dump truck driver had to be extricated from the wreckage and was also taken to the same hospital, where they remained in critical condition Thursday. The condition of the second driver was not immediately released.
Sky 10 video showed traffic backed up for miles as all lanes were shut down while crews worked to clear the gravel-like sand and debris from the roadway. Some lanes remained blocked for hours.
Officials confirmed that the Florida Highway Patrol is leading the investigation into the crash. The cause of the crash is currently undetermined.
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