Troopers from the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) continue to investigate a fatal crash that occurred on northbound I-75 frontage road at SR-60 in Hillsborough County. The crash occurred at approximately 2:50 p.m. on Friday, June 18, 2021.
A 58 year-old driver was traveling northbound on the I-75 frontage road near the SR-60 exit ramp in a tractor trailer. He was slowing or stopped due to the other stopped traffic.
A pickup truck, driven by a 41 year-old Mario Charles Gonzalez, was traveling northbound on the I-75 frontage road and upon observing the slowed and/or stopped traffic, took evasive action to avoid a collision.
The pickup truck departed the roadway, entered the outside shoulder, rotated, traveled back onto the roadway and collided with the right side of the tractor trailer. The pickup truck was redirected and overturned onto the shoulder during which time the unrestrained passenger was ejected from the vehicle. The passenger is only being identified as a 27 year-old female from Wesley Chapel.
Transported to an area hospital, the passenger died from injuries suffered during the crash.
Gonzalez was arrested and facing charges of DUI Manslaughter and transported to the Hillsborough County Jail.