An early Sunday drive on Interstate 75 in Sarasota County turned deadly when a single vehicle slammed into a pole along the southbound lanes, killing one person and shutting down part of the highway for hours.
Florida Highway Patrol said the crash happened around 6:12 a.m. near mile marker 202. After the impact, the right outside lane stayed closed while first responders worked the scene and cleanup crews cleared debris, with officials urging drivers to take it slow and use extra caution while passing through.
Crash reported by Florida Highway Patrol
In a news release, Florida Highway Patrol confirmed the fatality and said troopers are still working to determine what led up to the crash. According to Tampa Bay 28, the vehicle hit a pole on southbound I-75 near mile marker 202 and the right outside lane remained shut down during the response and cleanup. Troopers had not publicly released the name of the person who died at the time of the initial report.
I-75 has seen other deadly incidents this year
This latest fatality adds to a deadly year on the busy I-75 corridor in Sarasota County. In February, Florida Highway Patrol reported a pedestrian was killed near the same mile marker after exiting a vehicle and being struck by a semi. Local coverage noted that FHP traffic-homicide investigators handled that earlier case and stressed how quickly stops on the shoulder can turn dangerous. For more on that prior incident, see the reporting from FOX 13.
Traffic and enforcement
In response to crashes and complaints about speeding, Sarasota area agencies have increased targeted patrols along sections of I-75, officials told MySuncoast. Drivers are being urged to slow down, move over for emergency vehicles and avoid stopping in travel lanes or on the shoulder unless it is absolutely necessary.
Anyone who may have witnessed the crash or captured it on dash-cam is asked to contact Florida Highway Patrol to help investigators piece together exactly what happened in the moments before the vehicle hit the pole.
