Crash closes Seminole Boulevard near Central Florida Zoo, road reopens

Traffic on West Seminole Boulevard was forced to turn around near the Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens after a crash shut down the road between Walnut Crest Run and the zoo, cutting off a key stretch of Sanford access until police cleared the scene and reopened it.

Sanford Police said drivers should use alternate routes while the closure was in place. The shutdown affected Seminole Blvd. near 3755 W. Seminole Blvd., the home of the Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens, a major local destination that draws families, school groups and visitors from across Seminole County.

The zoo’s history runs deep in Sanford. It says it was first established in 1923 as the Sanford Zoo, moved to its current location on July 4, 1975, and has been accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums since 1986. The crash briefly interrupted access to that corridor, where West Seminole Boulevard serves as a direct route to the attraction.

WESH 2 News reported that the crash had shut down part of Seminole Boulevard in Sanford and that the road was closed between Walnut Crest Run and the Central Florida Zoo. Police did not release details on injuries, how many vehicles were involved or what caused the crash.

Sanford Police later posted that the road had reopened after the crash was cleared, ending the disruption on one of the main approaches to the zoo and nearby neighborhoods. For drivers, the closure was a short but significant reminder of how quickly a crash on Seminole Boulevard can affect traffic flow, zoo access and travel through north Sanford.