Parrish man hospitalized after tractor-trailer makes illegal U-turn, FHP says

A Parrish man was seriously injured on Interstate 75 when a tractor-trailer made an illegal U-turn to get around traffic, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

Due to an unrelated vehicle fire, there was slow-moving traffic on the northbound portion of I-75 near the Hillsborough and Manatee County line on Monday afternoon, the agency said.

Around 4:30 p.m., a tractor-trailer was stuck in the traffic, and the driver tried to illegally U-turn onto the southbound portion of the interstate, FHP said.

The tractor-trailer drove into the path of a Toyota Corolla driven by a 28-year-old Parrish man as it entered the southbound portion of I-75, and the Toyota collided with the tractor-trailer, according to the release.

Emergency responders transported the Parrish man to a local hospital with serious injuries, the release said.

Julio Dones, 45, was driving the tractor-trailer, and he was not injured during the collision, according to FHP.

Dones was arrested for reckless driving involving serious injury and was transported to the Hillsborough County Jail.

This story was originally published February 10, 2026 at 1:47 PM.