2 dead, several injured in MLK crash involving dump truck in Tampa: Police

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Updated  March 17, 2025 11:16pm EDT
FOX 13 News
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The Brief

    • Two are dead and several others were injured in a multi-vehicle crash that forced a busy stretch of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard to shut down Monday afternoon. 
    • It happened on Monday afternoon at MLK and N 50th St.
    • The driver of the dump truck involved was issued a court summons for careless driving that resulted in death. 

TAMPA, Fla. - Two people died, and several others were taken to the hospital after a multi-vehicle crash forcing a busy stretch of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. to shut down on Monday afternoon, according to the Tampa Police Department.

Dig deeper:

The Tampa Police Department said officers responded to the crash, which happened on the south end of the intersection of North 50th Street and East Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. 

Investigators said a 2015 Kenworth dump truck was heading northbound on North 50th Street, approaching East Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard when the driver, identified by police as a man in his 40's, failed to notice traffic stopped ahead. The driver tried to avoid a crash, but when making a sudden lane change, he hit the back of a minivan driven by a man in his early 60's with two juvenile passengers. 

The dump truck then veered onto the shoulder, hitting a man in his early 20's, who had gotten out of a company box truck while traffic was stopped to place a company sign on the grassy shoulder, according to officers. 

A stretch of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. in Tampa is shut down after a crash that killed two people and injured two juveniles, police said.

TPD said the dump truck then continued forward, and rammed into three additional vehicles before coming to a complete stop. 

The driver of the minivan and the man who had gotten out of a company box truck both died from their injuries, according to Tampa police. The two juvenile passengers in the minivan were hospitalized, one of whom was seriously injured, but is stable, investigators said. 

Two other drivers of three others involved in the multi-vehicle crash were taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, officials said. 

What they're saying:

"This tragedy is a sobering reminder of how quickly lives can be changed on the road," said Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw. "Our deepest condolences go out to the families and friends mourning this unimaginable loss. We urge everyone to stay mindful and make safe choices behind the wheel, not just for themselves but for everyone on the road."

The other side:

The driver of the dump truck did not exhibit any signs of impairment and did not appear to have a medical episode that caused the crash, according to authorities. He was issued a court summons for careless driving that resulted in death, officers said. 

The Source: Information for this story was provided by the Tampa Police Department.

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