Bradenton residents among injured in Interstate 75 crash Tuesday

Update: Northbound I-75 reopened as of 8:45 p.m. Tuesday. Fowler Avenue westbound is reopened Wednesday morning, however eastbound lanes remain closed for repairs.

Interstate 75 North and South were shut down for hours in Hillsborough County on Tuesday night following a multi-vehicle crash.

One driver is dead as result of the crash. The occupants of all other vehicles involved in the accident sustained injuries not considered life-threatening and were transported to area hospitals, according to Florida Highway Patrol.

The accident unfolded at 4:08 p.m. when the driver of a 2004 Toyota Sequoia entering I-75 North lost control and rotated into the path of a tractor trailer. The two vehicles collided, causing the tractor trailer to go through the guard rail and land below on Fowler Avenue, colliding with multiple vehicles.

An unidentified male driver was killed when the tractor portion of the falling vehicle landed on top of his sedan on Fowler Avenue. The tractor then caught fire, burning extensively for over 20 minutes and sending black smoke billowing above the interstate.

On Tuesday night, Florida Highway Patrol released more details about the accident.

After the tractor portion of the tractor trailer fell on the sedan, the trailer fell onto Fowler Avenue and collided with a 2011 Hyundai Santa Fe traveling westbound that was carrying a male driver and a female passenger from Bradenton. Both driver and passenger were transported to a local hospital with minor injuries.

An axle from the tractor portion of the tractor trailer became dislodged and traveled into I-75 South, colliding with a Toyota SUV. The driver of the SUV was uninjured.

The tractor trailer came to a final stop sprawled across all lanes of Fowler Avenue, spilling its cargo of tomatoes across the highway.

Traffic was backed up for miles in both directions during the afternoon rush hour.

Herald staff writer Ryan Ballogg contributed to this story.

This story was originally published October 2, 2018 at 5:03 PM.