At Least 9 Dead In Crashes On Florida Highway Amid Heavy Smoke GAINESVILLE, Fla. - At least nine people were killed in a series of vehicle crashes on a Florida highway, officials said Sunday. Visibility on Interstate 75 near Gainesville was greatly reduced overnight due to smoke from a brush fire, The Gainesville Sun reported. Lt. Patrick Riordan with the Florida Highway Patrol said the number of individual accidents had not yet been determined, but they involved at least 10 passenger vehicles and four commercial vehicles in both the northbound and southbound lanes. Interstate 75 was temporary closed Saturday evening due to low visibility from the smoke, but later reopened when conditions improved, Riordan said. The crashes occurred overnight. Burned-out vehicles still littered the highway Sunday morning, according to the Gainesville Sun. Interstate 75 and nearby US 441 were closed, causing heavy traffic congestion in the Gainesville area. The nine victims of the accidents were not immediately identified. Click for more on this story from the Gainesville Sun