A crash on Friday morning that involved two semitrucks shut down the east lanes of Interstate 4 near the State Road 528 on-ramp and caused fish to spill out onto the roadway.
The crash was reported shortly before 5 a.m. and forced drivers to use the median to get around the crash.
Mayel Perez, 39, who was driving the truck that was carrying the live tilapia, said he and his passenger were traveling to Brooklyn from a fish farm in Clewiston, Florida, near Lake Okeechobee.
He said when he tried to stop in the foggy conditions, his semitruck started sliding and crashed into the semitruck in front of him.
The other driver, David Plasky, 49, was taken to the hospital for minor injuries.
The crash caused dozens of live tilapia to spill onto the roadway, creating a huge mess on the interstate.
Crews were able to clean up the fish and the fish oil on the pavement. The road was reopened about three hours after the crash.
Perez said the pipe that brings oxygen to the fish tanks broke so it’s likely the fish that didn’t spill onto the road will also die.
Perez was ticketed for careless driving.
Heavy fog was an issue on the roads throughout the morning.
A car fire on I-4 west near Universal Boulevard was causing delays near a construction area.
About the Author
