The driver was “heavily impaired,” according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY – A drunken, wrong-way driver was seriously injured early this morning (June 17) in a crash with a semi-tractor-trailer in Hillsborough County, the Florida Highway Patrol said.

Rogelio Ramirez, 29, of Lakeland, was taken to Tampa General Hospital with serious injuries. Omar Lloyd Carty, 42, of Brandon, the driver of the semi, was uninjured.

The crash happened about 4:08 a.m. on southbound I-75 south of Gibsonton Drive. Troopers said Ramirez was driving a 2015 Hyundai Accent north in the southbound lanes. Carty, who was driving a 2001 semi-tractor-trailer, tried to avoid a crash by steering away from the wrong-way vehicle.

The Hyundai collided with the rear passenger side trailer portion of the semi. Troopers said Ramirez, who was “heavily impaired,” is thought to have entered onto I-75 at Exit 240.

Charges are pending against Ramiriez, troopers said.

For information about the Florida Highway Patrol, go to flhsmv.gov.

Photos courtesy of the Florida Highway Patrol.

Florida Highway Patrol | Wrong-Way Crash | Drunken Driver | Traffic Crash | Tampa Bay News | TB Reporter

#FloridaHighwayPatrol #WrongWayCrash #DrunkenDriver #TrafficCrash #TampaBayNews #TBReporter