Southbound lanes reopen on Alligator Alley following fatal crash

Southbound lanes of Alligator Alley near the Collier/Broward County line were shut down for nearly 12 hours following a fatal crash early Saturday, officials say.

The crash, which happened near Exit 49 (CR-833/Government Road), involved a pickup truck towing a boat and trailer and two construction vehicles, according to the Florida Highway Patrol, which is investigating.

The closures, which started around 1:40 a.m., caused heavy delays and traffic in the area as the holiday weekend began. All lanes had reopened by 1 p.m.

A 42-year-old Pompano Beach man was driving the pickup southbound in the right lane near mile marker 49 when he failed to slow down for two slower-moving construction vehicles, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

One of the vehicles — a line-painting truck driven by a 42-year-old Miami man with a 53-year-old passenger — was actively painting lane dividers, troopers say. Following behind was a Scorpion road construction crash protection truck driven by a 64-year-old Miami man.

The pickup slammed into the rear of the crash protection truck, pushing it into the line-painting vehicle. The 64-year-old driver of the crash protection truck was critically injured, airlifted to a nearby hospital and later pronounced dead, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

The pickup’s driver had minor injuries, and two passengers in the pickup — a 48-year-old who suffered serious injuries and a 50-year-old with minor injuries — were also hurt in the crash, troopers say.

The driver of the line-painting truck and its passenger were uninjured.

This story was originally published August 30, 2025 at 10:37 AM.