ELLISVILLE — The 21-vehicle pileup in southern Columbia County on Sunday remains under investigation.
Florida Highway Patrol continues its inquiry into the accident, which occurred at approximately 12:40 a.m. Sunday in the northbound lanes of Interstate 75 around mile marker 414 and the Ellisville exit. The accident and its cleanup closed the interstate until 12:40 p.m.
According to an FHP update Tuesday, troopers are still trying to determine what caused the series of collisions Sunday that involved the following vehicles: a Ford F150, a white transit van, a Lexus RX 300, a Lexus RX 350, a Nissan 3500 Van and trailer, a Toyota Rav4, a Toyota Corolla, a Nissan Ultima, a Lincoln Navigator, a Ford F250, a Dodge Ram pickup and trailer, a Nissan Sentra, a Ford Maverick pickup and trailer, a Nissan Ultima, a Ford Mustang, a Kia Soul, a Chevrolet Suburban, a Subaru Outback, a TEMSA Charter Bus (which had 15 passengers on board), a Toyota Camry, and a Nissan Ultima.
More than 45 people were involved in the accident, including three fatalities, two men and a woman, all from Chicago. According to FHP, other drivers and passengers injured were transported by five separate rescue units to HCA Florida Lake City Hospital or UF Health Shands Hospital in Gainesville.
Troopers are still trying to determine how many people were injured in the accident. The update notes some individuals drove themselves to a medical facility.
“Once this large scale investigation is concluded Investigators will have more specific facts, data and details of what occurred that caused the chain reaction of collisions,” Lt. Pat Riordan, an FHP spokesman, said in the update.