PASCO COUNTY, FL – A semi-truck accident in Pasco County on Monday morning left two people injured and caused major traffic delays, WFTS reported.
The Florida Highway Patrol said the incident took place on State Road 56 at about 11:15 a.m. An investigation indicated that an SUV hit a gravel truck as both vehicles were changing lanes near I-75 and Cypress Ridge Boulevard.
The truck overturned, and both drivers were injured. No details were released on the severity of their injuries.
Distracted driving is a deadly roadway problem. An even bigger problem is when drivers of big rigs get distracted from using their phones, adjusting radio dials, reaching for things they dropped, or eating and drinking. Driving distracted wastes seconds that you could use to avert a close call or a fatal crash.
April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month, so we wanted to highlight some of the dangers that can arise when drivers of semi-trucks get distracted behind the wheel.
Research from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), shows that the odds of a texting truck driver getting into a crash or near-crash are 23.2 times higher than truck drivers who do not text.
OCALA, FL – State troopers said they are searching for the driver of a tractor-trailer following a fatal crash in Marion County last month, WKMG reports.
The incident took place March 20 along I-75 south about four miles north of State Road 326. The Florida Highway Patrol determined that a van had become disabled in the center lane of the interstate at about 10 p.m. as the result of a prior collision with a tractor-trailer.
Another driver heading south on I-75 did not see the van in time and crashed into the back of it. The 71-year-old van driver died after being taken to an area hospital. His five passengers, three women and two men all in their 70s, were hospitalized with serious injuries. All occupants of the van were from Ocala.
WILDWOOD, FL – State troopers said a man was killed when a vehicle slammed into a parked truck on an Interstate 75 entrance ramp Tuesday afternoon.
A report by the Villages-News said the crash occurred on the ramp from State Road 44 at 3:46 p.m. According to the Florida Highway Patrol, the driver of a Nissan Rogue was heading northbound on the ramp when the vehicle hit a tractor-trailer that was parked on the paved east shoulder and the Nissan struck the truck’s trailer.
A passenger in the Nissan, a 25-year-old man from Wildwood, was pronounced dead after being taken to an area hospital. The Nissan driver, a 22-year-old Wildwood man, sustained minor injuries. The truck driver was not injured.
LAKE COUNTY, FL – The Florida Highway Patrol said an SUV and a semi-truck were involved in a fatal collision in Lake County on Tuesday morning.
The Leesburg News reports the accident occurred near the intersection of State Road 19 and O’Brien Road. According to the FHP, the driver of an eastbound semi approaching the intersection at about 7 a.m. turned into the path of a 2017 Toyota 4-Runner.
The Toyota hit the trailer being towed by the truck. The Toyota driver, a 73-year-old Howey-in-the-Hills woman, was pronounced dead after being taken to an area hospital. The semi driver was a 43-year-old man from Palm Springs.
BROOKSVILLE, FL – An employee of the City of Brooksville Department of Public Works was killed when his sanitation truck crashed Monday morning, the Suncoast News reports.
The Florida Highway Patrol said the worker, Ed Johnson, was going south on US-41 at about 6:15 a.m. when he lost control of the truck and was unable to negotiate a curve in the roadway. The truck hit a guardrail south of Mondon Hill Road, went down an embankment and partially overturned. Johnson was pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities said he was not wearing a seat belt at the time.
Johnson had retired from the DPW after 15 years on the job but returned to work in April 2023 because he loved the job, city officials said.
OCALA, FL – A car and an Amazon truck were involved in a deadly collision in Marion County on Wednesday morning, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
The Ocala StarBanner reported details of the wreck, which occurred on Interstate 75 northbound near the exit for State Road 326.
The FHP’s investigation found that the incident began when the driver of an Amazon semitractor-trailer struck the back of a vehicle slowing in front of him. The truck driver pulled over and stopped on the emergency shoulder.
PASCO COUNTY, FL – One person was killed and two others were injured in a collision in Pasco County Friday morning, according to WFLA.
The incident happened near the intersection of US-98 and US-301 at about 6:14 a.m. The Florida Highway Patrol said the driver of a Ford F250 was heading north when he tried to make a left turn and entered the path of a tractor-trailer. The Ford rotated, flipped and struck a street light support pole, while the tractor-trailer hit a pedestrian traffic signal.
The Ford driver, a 63-year-old man from Zephyrhills, was pronounced dead at the scene. A passenger in the tractor-trailer, a 57-year-old woman, was seriously injured. The driver of the truck, a 76-year-old Land O’Lakes man, sustained minor injuries.
LAND O’LAKES, FL – State troopers said a collision in Pasco County last week claimed the life of a teenage driver.
According to a WTVT report, the incident involving a car and a semi-truck occurred on Ehren Cutoff on Friday afternoon shortly after 3 p.m.
Investigators said a 16-year-old was driving a Chrysler Sebring southbound when she failed to negotiate a curve near Parkway Boulevard. The vehicle crossed over the center line and crashed into a northbound Peterbilt single-unit truck.
OCALA, FL – A collision in Marion County on Tuesday morning sent one of the drivers to the hospital, rescue officials said.
According to a Facebook post, Marion County Fire Rescue crews responded to the scene of the crash shortly after 11 a.m. It happened at the intersection of SE 174th Court and State Road 40 East, where an Amazon tractor-trailer collided with a Chrysler Town & Country minivan.
The Ocala StarBanner reports the minivan driver was driving erratically while going west on SR 40. The Florida Highway Patrol said the van crossed over the double yellow line and hit the tractor-trailer, which went off the roadway and into a ditch.
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