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Report Says Roadblock That Was Site Of Fatal Crash Lacked Warning Signs

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TODD RUGER

Sarasota Herald Tribune

Published: May 7, 2008

SARASOTA - There were no warning signs for an October construction roadblock on Interstate 75, where two people died when a semi-tractor trailer plowed into the back of stopped cars, a Florida Highway Patrol report on the crash states.

But the report does not weigh in on whether the lack of warnings contributed to the early morning crash, something that likely will be disputed in any civil legal actions.

Drivers told the FHP that they had to brake quickly for the early morning roadblock at the bottom of the back side of the overpass, which moves I-75 traffic over Bee Ridge Road, the report states.

Trucker Pablo Merlos' semi slammed into the back of the stopped cars. The 11-vehicle crash killed two men, sent one boy to the hospital in serious condition and injured at least six more people.

Merlos was cited for reckless driving and fined. Investigators also found his brakes were out of adjustment.

At the time, a construction supervisor told reporters that his crews had warning signs drivers could see before the crash site, but they were moved elsewhere the same morning as the crash.

A supervisor for Zep Construction, the company closing lanes for Palmer Road overpass repair, told investigators that the roadblock followed all state rules.

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