Ellenton, FL : Deadly multi-vehicle crash on I-75 near Ellenton bridge on Friday afternoon, August 22, 2014

A fiery crash along Interstate 75, at the Ellenton overpass, killed at least one person, sent several more to the hospital and shut down northbound lanes of the normally packed roadway for nearly five hours during Friday afternoon's commuter rush. The accident occurred shortly after 4 p.m. when a semi-trailer heading north in the inside lane of the interstate approached traffic that was backed up on the overpass, known as the J.D. Young Bridge. The semi, apparently unable to stop quickly enough, hit five other vehicles, causing one to burst into flames. The driver in that vehicle died as a result of the crash, said Florida Highway Patrol State Trooper Ken Watson, who was on the scene. There were “several other injuries,” including two people transported to area hospitals. Others who suffered abrasions refused to be taken to hospitals and were treated at the scene. The identities of the truck driver, the fatality and the others hurt in the crash hadn't been released as of late Friday. Watson said the driver who died was a male, but the car he was driving was registered to a female, a mismatch which could delay the ID process. Noncriminal charges are pending against the driver of the tractor-trailer, he said. Original reports indicated up to 10 vehicles — including a fuel tanker — had been involved in the accident, Watson said. But troopers found the five passenger vehicles and the tractor-trailer were the only ones involved. Source : UPDATE: I-75 NB reopens after fatal crash on Ellenton bridge