ORLANDO, Fla. – Two people were injured in a wrong-way wreck that resulted in both drivers being taken to the hospital, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

What You Need To Know

  • Both drivers were injured in Monday’s wreck, the offending driver was critically injured

  • The reason behind the offending driver heading the wrong was is under investigation

  • FDOT stated that wrong-way driving detection technology will be installed in the I-4 Express lanes in the future

The crash was the first case of a wrong-way driving incident in the I-4 Express lanes since they opened in late February. 

An incident report stated that a 28-year-old male driver was critically injured after troopers said he was driving his 2012 Buick Lacrosse eastbound in the westbound lane. As of Monday afternoon, it was unclear why the driver was heading the wrong direction.

Lt. Kim Montes with FHP said early indications suggest he was not impaired. 

“We don’t know why he was going the wrong way. We don’t know if he made a U-turn somewhere on the Express lane or we don’t know if he went up the exit ramps for westbound I-4 and just went up the ramp the wrong way,” Montes said.

A man who called 911 prior to the wreck said that he spotted the driver around the Ivanhoe exit. 

“I was going 65-70. I just saw the headlights, and I swerved over into the emergency lanes to avoid it,” the caller told a dispatcher in a recording shared by Orlando Police. 

Montes said with a new set of lanes, it’s not uncommon for there to be some growing pains and noted that Central Florida has seen its share of wrong-way wrecks.

“As a new road, and as many roadways here in Central Florida people are not familiar with, we do get reports of wrong-way drivings on all kinds of roadways, not just on interstates,” Montes said. “You really have to be paying attention and if you get confused, just take another second or two to make sure you’re going in the right direction.”

The Florida Department of Transportation confirmed on Monday that the same type of wrong-way driving detection technology that exists in some other areas of Orange County will come to I-4 Express lanes as well.

It uses a combination of radar detection, flashing signs and digital law enforcement alerts to help curb wrong-way incidents. 

FDOT Public Information Director Jessica Ottaviano said in a statement on Monday:

“At local arterial I-4 Express direct connect exit ramps (Grand National Drive, South Street, Ivanhoe Boulevard and Central Parkway) there are already measures in place to deter motorists from entering the wrong direction. In addition to wrong-way signs, there are directional arrows painted on the ramps, stop bars painted on the roadway, lane markings on surface streets and reflective pavement markings to guide drivers into the proper lanes. Reflective pavement markers appear as white when traveling in the proper direction but show red when traveling in the opposite direction.

“The Department plans to continue enhancing wrong-way driving technology within the I-4 Ultimate corridor. The planned enhancements are the same technology that was recently installed at other locations along I-4 (outside the construction zone of I-4 Ultimate). The equipment requires a specialist to install.”

A timeline wasn’t provided for when this technology would be integrated in the I-4 Express lanes. Montes said where it is in use, it’s been a great asset. 

“We have seen a lot of cars right themselves. They go up on that ramp the wrong way, that we actually get the pictures that shows them making the U-turn and going back right,” Montes said. “So, I think the obnoxious lights that they see and the notification help get those vehicles turned the right way.”