One Dead in Fiery Crash at I-75 and Fowler Avenue

TBadmin | October 3, 2018

I FowlerAve|FloridaHighwayPatrol|TrafficCrash

The first crash was on I-75. That collision caused the tractor-trailer to fall onto Fowler where a portion landed on a car then caught fire, the Florida Highway Patrol said.

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY – One man died in a five-vehicle crash that closed I-75 for several hours and was expected to close Fowler Avenue overnight, the Florida Highway Patrol said.

Daniel Lee Allmond, 31, of Spring Hill, died at the scene.

Mr. Allmond was an employee of the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, which released this statement: “Through his work with the department, Daniel made a tremendous impact helping to promote highway safety across the state of Florida, undoubtedly saving lives. We mourn his tragic loss and our prayers and support will remain with his family and friends during this time of grief.”

Jennifer Louise Boynton, 40, of Belleview, one of the drivers in the five-vehicle crash, was taken to St. Joseph’s Hospital with minor injuries. Scott Elling, 50, of Belleview, a passenger in Boynton’s Toyota, was also taken to St. Joseph’s although he had no reported injuries.ement:

Angel Aldana Catalan, 63, of Port St. Lucie, another driver, suffered minor injuries but was not taken to a hospital.

Frank L. Harold, 62, and Jennie M. Harold, 63, of Bradenton, the driver and passenger in a Hyundai, were taken to Tampa General Hospital with minor injuries.

Patricia P. Folsom, 69, of Tampa, the driver of a Toyota SUV, was not injured.

The crash happened about 4:08 p.m. Tuesday (Oct. 2) at the I-75-Fowler Avenue interchange in Hillsborough County.

Troopers said Boynton, who was driving a 2004 Toyota Sequoia east on Fowler, turned onto the northbound entrance ramp to I-75. Boynton lost control of the Toyota and traveled across the northbound lanes of I-75 until the Toyota collided with a tractor-trailer transporting tomatoes, which was headed north in the center inside lane.

The impact pushed the Toyota to the outside barrier wall where it came to a rest facing east. The tractor-trailer was propelled to the center median where it collided with the barrier wall along the Fowler Avenue overpass. The tractor portion went over the wall and down onto Fowler while the trailer continued to ride along the wall.

The tractor landed on top of a sedan driven by Mr. Allmond, which was eastbound on Fowler in the outside lane. The tractor caught fire and “burned extensively” for more than 20 minutes, troopers said.

The semi trailer also fell onto Fowler where it collided with a 2011 Hyundai Santa Fe driven by Frank Harold that was westbound on Fowler in the inside lane.

Before the tractor went over the wall, it lost an axle, which entered the southbound lanes of I-75 and collided with a 2016 Toyota SUV driven by Folsom.

The tractor-trailer came to a final rest perpendicular across all lanes of Fowler Avenue, spilling its load of tomatoes across the highway.

The crash closed all lanes of I-75 and Fowler. At 7:30 p.m., the two outside lanes of southbound I-75 reopened. At 8:45 p.m., the northbound lanes reopened. Fowler Avenue was expected to remain closed throughout the night.