State police say a driver following too closely was the cause of a tractor trailer accident Sunday evening.

Police say a commercial vehicle was changing lanes near mile marker 207 when traffic slowed down to allow for the lane change.

The first tractor trailer slowed down, but the second did not.

That truck's driver, Michael Cates of Tennessee, was charged with following too closely.

Those working the scene say a simple rear-ender becomes much larger when it involves 18-wheelers.

"When one truck stops and the other one keeps going, all that load throws a thrust into the rear end of another vehicle. So whether it's a car or another truck or whatever, whatever's in the way is going to get crushed, and we can pretty well see that this got crushed pretty good," says Mike Wilson with the Raphine Fire Department.

The accident was cleared up in about an hour and a half.

Traffic was backed up for at least five miles, due to a lane closure.