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Charter Buses Crash, Close I-75 Northbound During Early Morning

Two charter buses were involved in a crash on I-75 northbound just south of the Williston Road exit around 3 a.m. Monday.

The scene was cleared by 5:30 a.m.

The Alachua County Sheriff's Office responded to the scene and said all injuries to passengers were minor and non-life threatening. Initial reports indicated it was a "mass casualty scene," according to a UF Health Shands alert. Both buses were full of passengers

Florida Highway Patrol said the incident started when one bus driver was traveling northbound and prepared to exit for a rest area. "The phantom vehicle exited the interstate into the northbound rest area," FHP wrote in its press release," and at the last minute cut back onto the interstate."

The second bus driver, Rafael Rivera, 61, slammed on the brakes but couldn't avoid hitting 52-year-old driver Alberto Angulo's bus, which came to rest and blocked all northbound lanes near the rest area. Both drivers are from Orlando.

The buses had to be towed into the rest area.

https://twitter.com/ryancroberts/status/760029858650923009

https://twitter.com/ryancroberts/status/760029143496921089

Ryan is a reporter for WUFT News who may be contacted by calling 352-392-6397 or emailing news @wuft.org