A tragic event occurred in Thonotosassa this Thursday morning, as a Hillsborough County deputy died in a collision on US-301, a distressful incident leading to a full shutdown of the highway in both directions south of McIntosh Road, a situation deeply felt within the local law enforcement community. WFLA reports that the crash involved a Ford F-150 and a flatbed trailer, where the deputy, driving the Ford, was pronounced dead at the scene, while the driver of the flatbed suffered non-life-threatening injuries, further details pending an extensive investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol.
While the deputy's name has not yet been officially released, Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister is expected to provide more information in a press conference. Sheriff Chronister described the collision in comments and US-301 remains closed as investigators work diligently through the scape of twisted metal and unanswered questions, as reported by FOX13News.
Drivers were advised to find alternative routes; the incident occurred shortly before 8 a.m. south of McIntosh Road. The effort to understand the events leading up to the fatal accident is ongoing, Bay News 9 notes that additional details are expected from Sheriff Chronister's forthcoming briefing.
