A major crash on Interstate 75 in Gainesville, Florida has claimed 11 lives and sent 18 people to the hospital after extremely low visibility caused a massive car pileup.

Thick smoke from brush fires and dense fog caused the Florida Highway Patrol to shut down part of the highway for several hours. Less than a quarter of an hour after reopening, at least a dozen cars, a motor home, and six tractor-trailers collided in the early morning hours on Sunday.

Several of the cars burst into flames on impact. Investigators are enlisting the help of anthropologists from the University of Florida to help identify the deceased.

Our deepest sympathies are with the friends and families of those affected by this horrible crash.