Main Menu

Truck Hydroplanes, Lands in Tampa Bay

Police Lights | Public Safety | Traffic

The driver was able to escape from the partially submerged pickup truck, the Florida Highway Patrol said.

PINELLAS COUNTY – A driver suffered minor injuries Saturday (June 30) when the pickup truck he was driving hydroplaned on the Howard Frankland Bridge and landed in Tampa Bay, the Florida Highway Patrol said.

Gordon Alexander Bechtold, 26, of Largo, was taken to a hospital with minor injuries.

The crash happened about 11:20 a.m. on southbound I-275 near the 33 milepost in the inside lane. Troopers said Bechtold tried to change to the center, right-hand lane on the rain-slicked roadway. As Bechtold changed lanes, the 2007 Toyota Tacoma he was driving hydroplaned, spun to the outside grass shoulder, overturned and traveled over the adjacent barrier wall and landed in Tampa Bay.

Bechtold was able to get out of the partially submerged truck, troopers said.

Florida Highway Patrol | Traffic Crash | Howard Frankland Crash | I-275 Crash | Tampa Bay News

#FloridaHighwayPatrol #TrafficCrash #HowardFranklandCrash #I275Crash #TampaBayNews