TAMPA, Fla. – The Florida Highway Patrol is asking the public for tips as it investigates a hit-and-run crash in Hillsborough County on Wednesday that seriously injured a man and shut down southbound Interstate 275 for more than five hours.
The crash occurred near Waters Avenue around 9 p.m. as three vehicles traveled south in separate lanes: a truck with a trailer on the inside, a sedan in the center and a van on the outside, troopers said.
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According to a crash report, the sedan attempted to enter the inside lane and struck the right side of the truck, causing the larger vehicle to rotate across travel lanes, overturn and catch fire. The sedan also crossed travel lanes, rotated and overturned, striking a guardrail as the van collided with the exposed undercarriage of the truck, its driver unable to stop in time, the report states.
The crash forced the closure of southbound lanes until 2:30 a.m., troopers said.
The truck’s driver, a 51-year-old Summerfield man, was left with serious injuries, troopers said. None of the van’s six occupants — three children among them, ages 12, 9 and 5 — were injured, the report states. All seven of these individuals were wearing either seat belts or child restraints in the crash, troopers said.
The driver and passenger of the overturned sedan ran from the scene and have not been identified at the time of this writing, according to FHP. Those with knowledge of the two persons were urged to contact FHP by calling *FHP (*347), or Crime Stoppers at **TIPS (**8477).
Note: Due to the information provided, this map depicts the general area of this crash and not necessarily its exact location.
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