An early-morning nine-vehicle pileup on a major Polk County highway has left a motorcyclist dead and several injured.

According to the Polk County Sheriff's Office, the traffic crash shut down U.S. Highway 27, just south of Warner University, in Lake Wales, early Tuesday morning.

Southbound U.S. 27 was reopened around 10 a.m. One northbound lane of U.S. 27 was reopened around 11:30 a.m.

According to Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd, dense fog and remnant smoke from a prescribed burn of 60 acres, on Monday, just over one mile away, was reported in the area of the crashes around 4:53 a.m.

Judd said just minutes after the report of low visibility, around 4:55 a.m., the semi began to slow down, likely because of the fog and slowing traffic on the highway. For currently unknown reasons, the southbound semi crossed the center lane and entered northbound lanes of U.S. 27.

The semi struck a silver Ford Expedition and the motorcyclist. The motorcyclist, now identified as Frederick Wood, 47, of Frostproof, was killed. The driver of the SUV was airlifted to Lakeland Regional Medical Center in "exceptionally critical condition."

Moments later, four other vehicles -- a white Chrysler mini-van, a silver Toyota RAV-4, a burgundy Dodge Charger, and a white Ford pickup truck -- were involved in a second pileup on northbound U.S. 27. All the occupants in the vehicles were taken to Lake Wales Hospital or LRMC with what were believed to be non-life threatening injuries.

Following the second crash, a third crash was caused by a vehicle rear ending a vehicle on southbound U.S. 27. A green Mitsubishi four-door car and a burgundy Ford Taurus were involved in the crash. The drivers of the cars sustained no injuries.

Tom Morow, 41, of Frostproof, said he nearly lost his life as he drove home from work Tuesday morning.

"I slammed my brakes, but there was nothing you could do ... it was there, right in front of you. So, I smacked into the back of the car," Morow recalled. "I've never seen fog like that before. It was almost like a thick smoke, other than fog. This is very unusual. I lived in Florida all my life. I've never seen that before."

Morow described the conditions as a wall you hit a wall and can't see through.

When asked why the roadway wasn't shut down before the crashes could occur, Judd said shutting down roads every time there are low visibility conditions is impossible.

"There's going to be fog, just as sure as there's going to be darkness. And you can't close roads because of darkness -- because of fog," Judd said "I mean, there is not a street light out here."

Judd said drivers on the heavily traveled highway will see fog again in the area in the future and should beware and use caution.

Jan. 29, 2011: Crashes in dense smoke, fog leaves 10 dead, 21 injured on I-75 near Gainesville

Officials have not cited an official cause of the crashes in Polk County, but conditions described by the Polk County Sheriff's Office appeared somewhat similar to a string of deadly crashes on I-75 in Gainesville on Jan. 29.

According to Florida Highway Patrol officials, the crashes, involving at least 12 cars and seven semis, appeared to be caused by the combination of heavy smoke from the fire and fog reducing visibility on the interstate.

Eleven people were killed in the deadly string of crashes.

Jan. 2008: 4 killed in 70-vehicle crash on I-4

Heavy fog and smoke were also blamed for a serious 70-vehicle incident four years ago in Polk County. In Jan. 2008, four people were killed and 38 injured in a series of similar crashes on Interstate 4.

One pileup involved 40 vehicles.

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Sheriff's officials originally announced two people had been killed and 10 vehicles were involved in the crashes, but updated the totals to one death and nine vehicles involved later Monday morning.