Driver thrown into Tampa Bay following Howard Frankland Bridge crash
A view of the traffic following the Howard Frankland Bridge crash on Monday night (Courtesy: Florida Department of Transportation)
TAMPA, Fla. - A driver was taken to a hospital Monday night after he was thrown into the waters of Tampa Bay following a crash, troopers say.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, a Nissan Frontier pickup with a small trailer was parked on the inside southbound lane, just south of the crest of the Howard Frankland Bridge. The truck's driver was outside of the vehicle near the trailer. Troopers did not provide a reason why.
Around 10 p.m., a Toyota Corolla, which was traveling in the inside southbound lane, struck the trailer. Troopers said the trailer struck the pickup's driver, sending him over the bridge wall and into the water.
A third vehicle, a Jeep Compass, struck the rear of the Toyota.
The pickup's driver was found in the Tampa Bay water by one of the agencies responding by watercraft. He was taken to a hospital, but his condition is unknown as of Tuesday morning.