I-75 lanes reopen after crash investigation in Collier County

Traffic on Interstate 75 in Collier County came to a standstill as a multi-vehicle crash forced the closure of northbound lanes near Exit 111. The incident, which took place during the afternoon rush hour, caused significant delays for drivers.

WINK News reporter Mariaregina Mendoza was on the scene and spoke with drivers who were caught in the traffic jam. Many reported being stuck for nearly an hour and witnessing a substantial emergency response presence.

Viewer video shows emergency services responding to the site.

Ian Duncan, a driver caught in the gridlock, described the scene.

"I saw all the cars backed up. I saw a helicopter overhead and several troopers go by on the left, another trooper on the right, an ambulance," said Duncan. "You have a mile of tail lights in front of you, and you see flashing blue lights and red lights and rescue vehicles and everything."

Duncan said the delay lasted much longer than he expected.

"I was there easily almost an hour, and that was just from going from Golden Gate up to Immokalee," said Duncan.

Another driver, Kyle Dubosq, shared a similar experience.

"It was a big backup. I mean, it was shoulder to shoulder, bumper to bumper. It was a lot of cars, plenty of cars," said Dubosq. "I left Marco Island about maybe 5:30. I didn’t get to mile marker 116 until like 6:30."

Despite the frustration, drivers expressed concern for those involved in the crash.

"I hope everybody’s okay, but it didn’t look good," said Duncan.

The lanes have since reopened. Authorities continue to investigate the cause of the crash. WINK News is committed to providing updates as more information becomes available.