Hit-and-run driver started fatal I-75 crash in Manatee County, FHP says
UPDATE: Troopers have shared video of the crash as their search for the hit-and-run driver continues. See it here.
Florida Highway Patrol is looking for a hit-and-run driver who troopers say is responsible for starting a fatal crash on Interstate 75 Monday morning in Manatee County.
The crash overturned a tractor-trailer, killing the driver, and closed all southbound the interstate for several hours.
Troopers say the wreck began around 6:28 a.m. near Exit 220, when a Ford Mustang traveled from the left lane of the interstate to the center lane and hit a Chevy Trailblazer driven by a 63-year-old Palmetto man.
The collision forced the Palmetto man to move into the right lane and directly into the path of a tractor-trailer driven by a 34-year-old New Smyrna man, the release said.
The Chevy Trailblazer collided with the tractor-trailer, causing it to overturn onto its right side. It came to a stop partially upside down in the grass median and across all three southbound lanes of the interstate, according to the release.
The driver of the tractor-trailer died in the collision, and the Palmetto man sustained minor injuries, the release said.
FHP asks for help identifying hit-and-run driver
The agency said that the driver of the Ford Mustang “stopped momentarily after the collisions, then fled the scene.” He was heading south, according to the release.
The Ford Mustang was black with rear louvers, “and possibly a stick camera on the rear,” according to FHP.
Officials reopened all lanes of I-75 South early Monday afternoon.
This crash is still under investigation, according to the release.
Anyone with information or video of the incident can contact FHP by dialing *347 or leave an anonymous tip with Manatee County Crime Stoppers at 866-634-TIPS or ManateeCrimeStoppers.com.
This story was originally published April 20, 2026 at 2:07 PM.
