A woman is recovering from serious injuries sustained during a harrowing incident in which a trailer from a semi-truck struck her vehicle. The accident occurred yesterday afternoon in Hillsborough County on the ramp from Interstate 75 to Interstate 4. WFLA reports that a 31-year-old Tampa man was behind the wheel of the semi, which crashed into the inside concrete barrier, causing the Seatrade trailer he was hauling to flip over and fall off the overpass.
According to WTSP, the trailer landed on Hillsborough Avenue, directly colliding with a Jeep Grand Cherokee. The Jeep was driven by a 61-year-old Lutz woman who was heading west on the avenue. The Florida Highway Patrol stated that the semi-truck driver was driving too quickly to navigate the curve safely and was cited for failure to maintain lane.
Footage from the crash site captured by choppers and Florida Department of Transportation cameras showed significant disruption resulting from the accident, with emergency crews engaging in clean-up and investigation efforts. The left lane of the off-ramp where the incident occurred was blocked for hours but was eventually reopened, as seen in coverage by ABC Action News. The trailer was removed from the road around 3:45 p.m.
The driver of the semi-truck was reported uninjured in the wreck, while the Lutz woman was transported to the hospital with serious injuries.
