It was a headache for drivers on I-75 through Punta Gorda yesterday after a 5-car crash was reported around 730am. Florida Highway Patrol troopers responded to the crash near mile marker 164, just south of the Duncan Road exit. One lane was blocked for some time while crews tended to the injured and got the wrecked cars off the roadway. Five people were sent to Fawcett Memorial Hospital for minor injuries. While the crash was in the cleanup stages, a semi hauling sand caught fire, needing a response for fire crews. That fire caused damage to the road, which then had to be repaired.
