Interstate Road Closure Warning Largely Ignored

Yesterday my drive back from Hollywood to Gainesville, a distance of about 350 miles, was uneventful, and in the good sense of the word.  I was careful to avoid long stretches of driving, frequently stopping for coffee, food, gas, and even once the beach.  Except for a stretch of a severe rainstorm around Naples, the weather cooperated as well.  And the road, despite being plagued (or blessed, depending on your perspective) by Florida Highway Patrol squad cars laying in ambush for speeders every few miles, presented no problems with closures or detours.  Not, at least, until the very end of my journey, with me already almost back in Gainesville...

I usually leave I-75 in Gainesville at exit #390, which is the northernmost exit in town.  I was just approaching the exit immediately preceding it (#384) when I noticed a sign, with a Highway Patrol parked nearby with its blue lights flashing, warning that the Interstate was closed past this exit and that I would have to get off here and follow a detour.  I dutifully took note and left then.  As I was going down the exit ramp, though, I looked over and noticed that hardly anyone else was following the warning, instead choosing to drive on.  Then I looked ahead down the Interstate and saw the traffic, clearly backed up and at a grinding halt, going nowhere in a big hurry.  And I thought to myself, this is the epitome of distracted driving: signs warn you, a police car is out there trying to attract your attention, and you can even clearly see, just by looking ahead of you down the road, that it is hopelessly backed up.  And yet you still go on, like lemmings over a cliff!

I later found out that an overturned truck had shut down I-75 between exits 384 and 390, something that I had already suspected.  But I'm still scratching my head at the blind stupidity of some drivers.  I suppose the only way they would have left at the indicated exit is if the road ahead were physically closed off to them.  But there obviously hadn't been enough time to accomplish this.  Hence the largely ignored sign and flashing squad car...