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FHP seeks driver in road rage crash on I-75
Justin Matthews reports
TAMPA, Fla. - The driver of a dump truck tried to avoid a collision on a Tampa highway when another driver entered its path. According to the Florida Highway Patrol, it was a case of road rage.
Troopers are now searching for the driver of the green Toyota sedan who "intentionally" cut off the dump truck Thursday morning, just south of State Road 56 in Lutz.
Dashcam video was shared showing the incident.
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Raw video: Road rage suspect overtakes dump truck, causing crash
In this video shared by FHP, a driver is seen speeding past a dump truck on I-75 in Tampa and overtaking the vehicle, causing the dump truck driver to lose control, officials said. Troopers are searching for the driver of the green Toyota sedan.
The Toyota was seen speeding past the dump truck and entering its path. Troopers said it caused the dump truck driver to lose control, rotating into the path of two other tractor-trailers, causing those vehicles to crash as well.
Anyone with information is asked to call FHP by dialing *347.
Fortunately no one was injured in Thursday's crash, but safe driving activists say these types of incidents happen too often.
"We work very closely with law enforcement, and we hear about it constantly, that people are driving more aggressively. They’re speeding, they’re aggressive, doing things that are really crazy on the road," said Linda Unfried, co-founder of Mothers Against Drunk Driving in Hillsborough County.
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Data from the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles shows an increase of reckless driving violations over the last several years.
Here’s how the uniform traffic citation report breaks down:
- 2018: 5,800
- 2019: 5,800
- 2020: 5,600
- 2021: 6,800
- 2022: 6,500+
66% of traffic fatalities are caused by aggressive driving, according to the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration.
Experts say, key steps in preventing road rage include simply taking a deep breath and move on. Also, never provoke an aggressive driver no matter how much you may want to. Things can escalate quickly.