Fire rescue said three were hospitalized after the southbound lanes shut down Sunday.
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — A rollover crash that shut down all southbound lanes of Interstate 95 near Broward Boulevard on Sunday sent three people to the hospital, Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue said. One of the injured was transported with life-threatening injuries, the agency said.
The collision left multiple damaged vehicles on the highway and triggered miles of backups as crews worked to reach victims and clear the scene. It also raised early questions about what caused the rollover, after a witness said he was told the driver of the overturned SUV may have been experiencing a medical emergency. Investigators had not confirmed that account, and officials had not released a detailed explanation of how the crash unfolded.
Fire rescue crews responded to I-95 southbound near Broward Boulevard, a major interchange area in Fort Lauderdale that carries heavy traffic on weekends. At the scene, a black vehicle was flipped upside down, while a silver car and another black car were also damaged. Paramedics treated the injured on the roadway and transported three people to Broward Health Medical Center. Fire rescue said one patient’s injuries were life-threatening, but officials did not provide names, ages or the roles of the injured people in the crash.
As the southbound lanes were blocked, traffic backed up for miles and drivers were forced to slow or stop as they approached the closure. The backup extended through nearby ramps and feeder roads as motorists tried to exit and re-route, creating delays that compounded through the afternoon. The closure also limited space for emergency vehicles to maneuver, with responders working among stopped cars and scattered debris. Officials did not immediately provide an exact time the lanes were reopened or say whether the crash affected both the express lanes and the general travel lanes in the same way.
Darryl Darling, who said he saw the aftermath, described a scene of heavy damage across the highway. “Heartbreaking. It was sad to see,” Darling said. He said there were “two other cars that were mangled” and described a van that he said rolled onto its side, along with another vehicle pulled over nearby. Darling said he believed the driver of the black SUV that overturned was a disabled veteran and said the SUV had earlier struck several plastic poles on the highway before later hitting a car near Atlantic Boulevard. Darling also said state troopers at the scene told him the SUV driver was having a medical emergency.
The Florida Highway Patrol had not confirmed the witness’s account, and officials did not release an official sequence of events or a stated cause. In rollover investigations, law enforcement typically reviews physical evidence such as the final resting positions of vehicles, scrape marks and debris fields, along with vehicle damage that can show where the first contact occurred. Investigators may also request medical information when a health episode is suspected, and they often seek video from traffic cameras or nearby vehicles. Authorities had not said whether any mechanical problems were suspected, whether seat belts were used, or whether other contributing factors such as speed or impairment were under review.
No charges were announced in connection with the crash, and no court dates or hearings were scheduled publicly as of Monday morning. The next procedural step is generally the completion of a traffic homicide or traffic crash report, depending on the severity and whether any deaths occurred, with a separate review possible if investigators suspect criminal conduct. Officials did not say when a full crash report would be available, and the conditions of two of the hospitalized people were not released. The investigation can take days or weeks if it includes additional interviews, medical evaluations or reconstruction analysis.
Near the crash site, drivers described long lines of cars and flashing emergency lights reflecting off the roadway as crews worked around an overturned vehicle and damaged cars. The closure point, near Broward Boulevard, sits in a corridor where interstate traffic mixes with local exits, which can make any major crash quickly ripple into surrounding streets. Darling said the extent of the damage made the scene difficult to watch and suggested the incident involved more than a simple two-car collision, though officials had not provided a confirmed count beyond the vehicles seen at the scene.
As of Monday morning, investigators had not confirmed what caused the rollover or whether a medical episode played a role. Authorities were expected to continue reviewing evidence and witness statements as they prepared an official crash report.
Author note: Last updated February 17, 2026.