The driver in last week's fuel tank explosion that closed the southbound overpass of Interstate 75 over U.S. 301 in Ellenton - and wrought havoc on Manatee County's traffic in the days since - died Saturday.
Raymond Neumann, 54, of Brooksville, battled to the end, first crawling out of the flaming wreckage of a truck that had just plunged 26 feet off the overpass, then surviving for three more days at Tampa General Hospital's burn unit.
He eventually succumbed to the severe burns that covered 75 percent of his body.
His son, David Neumann, 26, said Neumann's family was devastated by his father's death. The crash occurred the day before another the crash, which came a day before another son was scheduled to graduate high school.
"They're as devastated as I am," David Neumann said. "He was an excellent father."
Neumann was also the sole support for his six children, now aged 29, 26, 23, 17, 13 and 10, said David Neumann. For those who wish to help the family, he said, a Web site will be established in his father's name.
The crash occurred about 4 p.m. Wednesday when Neumann, driving a tanker full of fuel, tried to steer clear of a pickup truck that had fishtailed while trying to merge into traffic on the overpass. His tanker hit another vehicle, then went over the bridge's wall, landing on U.S. 301 and narrowly missing vehicles passing beneath.
A series of explosions followed.
The driver of the pickup involved, Fernando Aguilera-Chavez, 28, of Bradenton, has been charged with careless driving, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
Aguilera-Chavez, an electrician who was on his way home at the time of the crash, declined to comment at his home Saturday.
In a previous interview, Aguilera-Chavez said he lost control of his truck as he was accelerating on to I-75. He said the roads were wet from Wednesday's heavy rain.
Relief in sight?
Meanwhile, construction crews continue to work to rebuild the southbound portion of the bridge damaged in the crash. Work to enable the northbound overpass to accommodate traffic in both directions could be finished as soon as Monday, providing at least some relief to the congestion caused by interstate drivers detouring through Palmetto and Bradenton.
"Once they open that, it's going to alleviate a lot of this traffic," said Manatee County Sheriff's Office Lt. Robert Mealy. "People just need to exercise patience."
The speed limit for that portion of the interstate will be dropped to 40 mph when it reopens.
On Saturday night, an east and a west lane of traffic were reopened on U.S. 301.
Local law enforcement departments continued to control intersections Saturday in Bradenton, Palmetto and throughout the county on other parts of U.S. 301. Green lights on north-south routes last 10 minutes. Those on east-west routes 3 minutes.
There was an especially high volume of traffic near the Manatee Convention Center because of three high school graduations.
Law enforcement reported minor crashes, mostly fender benders, because of the traffic congestion. Few were serious because the traffic jams didn't allow vehicles to go fast enough.
The sheriff's office had about 12 to 16 deputies patrolling intersections. Extra deputies had to be called in so other deputies normally scheduled could respond to emergency calls.
Bradenton Police Lt. Warren Merriman said police worked three intersections on First Street, cutting back what they have previously worked this past week on Ninth Street West.
First Street was congested throughout Saturday between interstate traffic and graduations, he said.
All local departments used overtime in order to ensure safety at various intersections. The cost is not yet complete, but all plan to petition the state for reimbursement.
"It's a public safety issue," Merriman said. "We would do it regardless."
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