At approximately 9:53 p.m. on Wednesday, September 25, 2024, Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) Troopers received reports of a wrong-way driver traveling northbound in the southbound lanes of I-275 across the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. The red Dodge Ram pickup vehicle was intercepted by a Trooper who attempted to stop the truck with a PIT maneuver, but the attempt was unsuccessful.
The Trooper then pursued the vehicle, which was traveling at high speed. Minutes later, the Dodge Ram collided nearly head-on with a white Ford F150 near the 17 Milepost. The driver of the Ford, a 33-year-old off-duty Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Deputy, sustained serious injuries and was transported to a local hospital for treatment.
Following the crash, the wrong-way driver, identified as 25-year-old Yosman Alexander Ixpata Xitumul of Brandon, fled the scene on foot. St. Petersburg Police officers later apprehended him. Ixpata Xitumul, who was found to have a blood alcohol level over three times the legal limit, was also seriously injured and taken to a hospital.
Ixpata Xitumul faces multiple charges, including Aggravated Fleeing to Elude with Serious Injury, Reckless Driving with Injury and Damage, Leaving the Scene of a Crash with Injury, DUI with Serious Injury, and Driving While License Suspended. Authorities have not yet determined where the driver began traveling in the wrong direction.
Booking photo not yet available.