Semi-truck driver dead after careening off I-75 into canal in Tampa: HCFR

TAMPA, Fla. - A driver has died after their 18-wheeler lost control on I-75 early Monday morning, overturning into the Tampa Bypass Canal, according to authorities.

According to the Hillsborough County Fire Rescue, officials responded at 2:35 a.m. after an 18-wheeler driving south on I-75 lost control near Fowler Avenue and went off the road.

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According to the Florida Highway Patrol, the driver, a 64-year-old man from Mississippi, lost control on the wet roadway, causing the vehicle to rotate, collide with a concrete barrier on the outside shoulder and then travel over the wall.

HCFR arrived to find the truck teetering on the guard rail with the cab still out of the water. About 15 minutes later, the front cab became submerged.

"When we got there the trailer was sticking straight in the air and the bridge was holding it," said Mike McArthur, the director of operations for Stepp's Towing Service.

HCFR reported that they had multiple units on the scene, including specialty teams, working to gain access to the submerged cab. Later in the morning, dive teams with the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office searched the canal for the driver.

Photo courtesy: FHP

"We got called out at three o'clock in the morning," said dive team member Jeremy Pollack.   "Heavy wind and heavy rain made it difficult for our boats down in the water." 

Eventually, divers located the cab about 40 feet below the surface with the dead driver inside. 

Just after 9 a.m. on Monday, Hillsborough County Fire Rescue confirmed the driver died. The truck was recovered and taken to a towing location for inspection.

I-75 reopened around 9:30 a.m. Monday following an already messy rush hour made worse by the closure of the southbound lanes.