An Ocala woman, a man from Lakeland, and a Florida Highway Patrol trooper were hospitalized early Saturday morning following a two-vehicle crash on Interstate 275 in Tampa.
Shortly before 4:45 a.m., a Kia Forte was traveling northbound on I-275, south of I-4, in an active construction zone that was in place on the interstate. The left lanes were closed by traffic cones and arrow boards, and an FHP trooper was seated inside a stationary marked patrol car in the construction zone with its emergency lights activated, according to the FHP incident report.
The report stated that the driver of the Kia sedan, identified as a 24-year-old man from Lakeland, was “impaired” and proceeded to drive over the traffic cones. The sedan then entered the construction zone and struck an arrow board before rear-ending the parked FHP patrol car.
The trooper sustained serious injuries in the crash and was transported to a local hospital.
The driver of the Kia sedan and the vehicle’s sole passenger, a 25-year-old woman from Ocala, were also injured in the collision. They were both transported to a local hospital in serious condition.
The names of the individuals involved in the accident were not released by the Florida Highway Patrol.