RIVERVIEW, Fla. – A tragic accident on southbound Interstate 75 in Riverview, Florida, resulted in the deaths of four individuals, including two young boys, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. The incident, which involved multiple vehicles, occurred just after 3 p.m. on Wednesday, near the Selmon Expressway.
The Florida Highway Patrol reported that the crash was caused by two pickup trucks traveling in adjacent lanes, with one colliding with the other in an attempt to switch lanes. This collision led both trucks to spin out, with the first truck coming to a rest in the grass median. The driver and all three passengers in the first truck were ejected from the vehicle, resulting in their tragic deaths.
Among the victims were a 36-year-old man, a 34-year-old woman, their 12-year-old son, and the boy’s 14-year-old cousin from Texas. The FHP confirmed that none of the occupants of the first truck were wearing seatbelts at the time of the crash. However, the driver of the second truck and the two young children riding in the back were not injured, as they were all wearing seatbelts and their vehicle was able to come to a controlled stop.
The tragic incident serves as a reminder of the importance of wearing seatbelts while traveling in a vehicle, as statistics from the Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles reveal that a significant percentage of child passenger fatalities in 2022 were due to not wearing any type of restraint. The southbound lanes of I-75 were blocked for several hours following the crash, but have since reopened.
The devastating loss of four lives in this tragic accident underscores the need for continued awareness and adherence to safety measures while traveling on the road. It also serves as a reminder of the importance of following traffic regulations and taking necessary precautions to prevent such heartbreaking incidents from occurring in the future.