HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. – A Riverview man escaped a head-on collision with only minor injuries overnight from a man who was fleeing from Florida Highway Patrol.
According to FHP, around 1:14 am Saturday, a 2003 Lexus ES300, was spotted by an FHP Trooper driving erratically along I-275 near mile marker 30.
Suspecting the driver was impaired, the Trooper attempted a traffic stop, but the Lexus fled across the Howard Frankland Bridge at high speed with the Trooper in pursuit.
The Lexus continued to the Tampa airport, stopped, and allowed two adult female passengers to exit the vehicle.
Troopers say the Lexus then reversed and intentionally collided with the front of the Trooper’s patrol car, then began to travel southbound in the northbound lanes of George J Bean Parkway, north of SR-616.
A Chevy Silverado, driven by a 46-year-old Riverviewman, was traveling northbound along George J Bean Parkway and was struck nearly head-on by Lexus.
Troopers say the Lexus rotated to a stop in the travel lanes while the Chevy rotated to the shoulder and collided with a guardrail.
The driver of the Lexus, a 33-year-old St. Petersburg man, was transported to an area hospital, and later died from injuries suffered during the crash.
