TAMPA, Fla. – A driver was hospitalized early Wednesday morning after an SUV crashed into a disabled pickup truck on I-4 in Tampa. According to the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP), the SUV was traveling at approximately 80 mph in a 55 mph zone at the time of the collision, sending debris across the highway.
FHP reported that a disabled Ford F-150 was stopped in the inside eastbound lane of I-4 in Ybor City around 3:30 a.m. A 28-year-old Tampa man driving a Ford Explorer approached the pickup “at a high speed,” troopers said. Despite attempting to swerve, the SUV crashed into the back of the truck. The impact scattered debris across multiple lanes of the interstate.
Evidence gathered at the scene, including a stuck speedometer and the extent of the vehicle damage, indicated the SUV’s speed at the time of the crash, troopers confirmed. The driver of the SUV was transported to the hospital but is expected to survive.
Investigators noted that no one was inside the pickup truck at the time of the accident. The driver of the pickup, a 54-year-old man from Thonotosassa, told troopers that his truck stalled and he was unable to put it into neutral; he had activated the hazard lights.
Authorities have not yet determined why the driver of the pickup stopped in the inside lane rather than moving to the shoulder.
