A five-car crash at the intersection of 34th Street and University Avenue stopped traffic for about three hours late Sunday afternoon.
According to Gainesville Police, the driver of a Kia Optima sped toward the intersection at around 4:30 p.m. and hit a green Mitsubishi Eclipse, which was stopped in a left-hand turn lane.
The Optima hit the left bumper of the Eclipse and tipped sideways, GPD Cpl. Victor Norman said, and still moving, crashed into the left side of a silver Chevy Cobalt and then the back of a white Honda Odyssey.
After colliding with the Odyssey, the Optima flipped, and the Odyssey scooted about 120 feet across the intersection. Both lanes of University Avenue from Southwest 32nd Street to Southwest 36th Street were blocked until 7:30 p.m., according to GPD. Both lanes of Southwest 34th Street were also closed from Southwest Second Avenue to University Avenue.
Four of the five drivers involved in the crash were taken to Shands at UF, police said. The driver of the Optima, whose identity was not released, is in critical condition. The other three drivers suffered minor injuries.
Dominique Hayes, 24, the driver of the Cobalt, did not go to the hospital. She sat on the curb of 34th Street in front of Checkers about a half hour after the crash and said she stopped in the turn lane when she saw the Optima approaching. She said she knew the car was not going to stop soon enough.
"I looked back in the rearview mirror, and the next thing I know, he hit the car behind me," she said. "I don't even know. It all happened so quick."
Cassidy Cawley, 21, was working in the drive-thru at Grandy's around 4:30 when a loud noise startled her. She immediately looked and saw smoke rising and the Optima flipping.
"You know when a motorcycle takes off and it's real loud?" she said. "It sounded like that, only really, really messed up."
Gainesville Police survey a five-car crash that left one car flipped at the intersection of 34th Street and University Avenue on Sunday, Jan. 8.
Gainesville Police survey a five-car crash that left one car flipped at the intersection of 34th Street and University Avenue on Sunday, Jan. 8.
Gainesville Police survey a five-car crash that left one car flipped at the intersection of 34th Street and University Avenue on Sunday, Jan. 8.
