The car they were in hit a tractor-trailer, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY – A man and a woman died of injuries they suffered Friday (Feb. 2) when the car they were in hit the rear of a tractor trailer, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office said.

Juanita Paulino, 70, of Tampa, died at the scene. She was riding in the ride front passenger’s seat of the car. The car’s driver, Samuel T. Thomas, 38, of Lakeland, was taken to St. Joseph’s Main Hospital where he died of his injuries. A second passenger in the car, Christino Paulino, was taken to St. Joseph’s Main with non-life threatening injuries.

The crash happened about 10:20 a.m. A Freightliner tractor pulling a trailer, driven by Tywaun Jamel Blake Burgess, 30, of Orlando, was stopped facing north on Sheldon Road about 200 feet
north of Mohr Road in the left lane. Burgess was waiting to back up into a driveway on Sheldon Road.

Mr. Thomas was driving a 2012 Kia Rio north on Sheldon. He hit the rear of the Freightliner, which is owned by Quirch Foods Co. in Medley.

Deputies said there are no charges at this time pending further investigation.

Hillsborough Sheriff | Traffic Crash | Fatal Crash | Samuel T. Thomas | Juanita Paulino | Tampabay News

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