SUV flips off interstate into Tampa Bay after crash

Credit: DaytonDailyNews

An SUV plunged into Tampa Bay Wednesday morning after it crashed into a vehicle on a Florida interstate, the Florida Highway Patrol said.

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The multi-vehicle crash occurred on the Howard Frankland Bridge, which connects Tampa and Pinellas County, about 7:05 a.m., the Tampa Bay Times reported.

According to the Florida Highway Patrol, a white SUV was heading south on Interstate 275 "in a reckless manner" when the driver changed lanes and collided with a Ford F-150, WTSP reported. The right rear section of the SUV hit the front of the pickup truck, causing the SUV to spin and flip several times before tumbling over the highway barrier into the water, troopers said.

Rescue divers located the SUV after the crash, WTSP reported. Troopers have not released the name of the driver, the driver's condition or how many people were in the SUV, WTVT reported.

"No occupants were seen coming out of the vehicle or out of the water," St. Petersburg Fire Rescue Lt. Steve Lawrence told the Times.

The driver of the Ford, Wilson Rowland, 30, of Tampa, was not injured, troopers told the newspaper.

Traffic was backed up to downtown Tampa, the Florida Highway Patrol reported.

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