A massive car pileup in Florida over the weekend has claimed 11 lives and sent 18 people to the hospital.

An estimated 12 cars, six tractor-trailers, and a motor home collided on Interstate 75 in Gainesville, Florida early Sunday morning, less than a quarter of an hour after Florida Highway Patrol reopened the stretch of highway. Dense fog and heavy smoke from brush fires made visibility dangerously low.

Witnesses say they saw cars getting hit multiple times and bursting into flames. Several cars were wedged under tractor-trailers. Investigators are seeking the help of anthropologists from the University of Florida to help identify the deceased.

Our thoughts are with the families and friends of those affected by this horrific crash.

Fewer than 600 died on Wisconsin roadways for the fourth consecutive year in 2011.

569 people died in vehicular accidents last year, seven more than in 2010 but 59 fewer than the state’s five-year average. According to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, this is the first time in 84 years that traffic fatalities were under 600 for four years in a row, the last time being from 1924-1927.

Pedestrian, bicycle, and car-related deaths slightly increased as motorcycle fatalities decreased by 18 percent. The director of the DOT’s Bureau of Transportation Safety claims there is no specific factor that is responsible for the fewer traffic deaths, but states that most of the fatal accidents were caused by irresponsible decisions and bad driving habits.

Two people were killed and one is in critical condition after a two-car accident occurred on Highway 26.

A 39 year-old man headed northbound lost control of his vehicle on a curve when he traveled into the southbound lane and crashed head-on into a car driven by a 22 year-old woman. Both drivers were pronounced dead at the scene. The woman’s 23 year-old passenger is currently at the University Hospital in Madison.

Officers do not believe alcohol or speeding were factors in the crash. Highway 26 has seen many fatal accidents over the years, which prompted the Wisconsin Department of Transportation to upgrade it with passing lanes. Police often patrol to look for accidents.

Our deepest sympathies are with the family and friends of the two victims.