Single Car Crash Near Tampa Kills 19-Year-Old

By Orlando Personal Injury Attorney on January 3, 2020

Troopers with the Florida Highway Patrol were among the first responders to a Tampa auto accident which took place just before Christmas. The incident, which remains under investigation, involved a 19-year-old inside of a 1995 Ford Mustang. It is not believed that any other individuals or vehicles were involved in the crash.

The reports stated that it was shortly before 10:00 at night when the 19-year-old was driving the Mustang down the northern lanes of Interstate 275. It is not clear what was happening within the cab of the car, although authorities have stated that they do not believe that alcohol was a contributing factor to the accident. It is possible that the teenager was using their phone or in some other way being distracted from the road. It is also possible that inclement road conditions caused the asphalt to become slippery in the area where the teen was traveling.

It was as the driver neared the intersection of I-275 and East Fowler Avenue that something happened to cause them to lose control of the vehicle. It is not clear if there was a struggle within the car for the driver to regain control of the car, but what is known is that before this could happen, the car collided with the barrier wall located along the shoulder of the road. After striking the wall, the car then began to overturn. The driver of the car was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash and they were subsequently thrown from the car and onto the road.

The reports did not mention just who it was that alerted the authorities to the accident, but we do know that shortly after the Mustang crashed there were numerous first responder teams rushing to the area. When they arrived, they found the single car overturned and the 19-year-old driver lying on the ground nearby. We do not know if the driver was dead when the emergency response crews reached them, but it is believed that they were pronounced dead at the scene of the accident itself.

Troopers with the Florida Highway Patrol have yet to publicly state what they believe caused the incident to occur.

Sources:

• Tampa man, 19, dies after being ejected in I-275 crash

James O. Cunningham

Since 1977, personal injury lawyer James Cunningham has provided effective legal advocacy to people who are injured through the negligent actions of another person or entity throughout the Central Florida area. He fights to obtain recoveries for his clients’ physical and emotional pain and suffering and pursues his clients’ personal injury cases with a commitment to excellence and impeccable preparation.