Patrol car gets crammed under propane tanker. Deputy seriously hurt, Florida cops say

A sheriff’s deputy was seriously injured when his patrol vehicle became crammed under a propane tanker, according to investigators in Florida.

The crash happened around 5:23 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 1, in the Spring Hill area of Pasco County. Spring Hill is about a 50-mile drive north from Tampa.

“An Amerigas Propane tanker truck, driven by a 60-year-old Spring Hill man, was traveling in reverse across the eastbound and westbound lanes of Hudson Avenue into a private driveway,” the Florida Highway Patrol said in a news release.

“A marked Pinellas Sheriff’s Office Chevy Tahoe, driven by an on-duty 32-year-old Pinellas sheriff’s deputy, was traveling eastbound on Hudson Avenue ... and traveled underneath the trailer.”

Photos show the deputy’s SUV was nearly halfway under the tanker when the roof crumpled.

Deputy Dakota Dellechiaie had to be “extricated” from the vehicle and was hospitalized in serious but stable condition, the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.

“We are deeply grateful for Pasco County Fire Rescue, Florida Highway Patrol, and hospital personnel for their life-saving care,” the department wrote.

Motorists were told to avoid Hudson Avenue much of Tuesday as first responders burned off a “minor amount” or propane that remained in the tanker.

Dellechiaie has worked for the department since 2019 and is assigned to the Patrol Operations Bureau. He and his wife have four children, officials said.

The cause of the crash is under investigation.

This story was originally published October 1, 2024 at 12:23 PM with the headline "Patrol car gets crammed under propane tanker. Deputy seriously hurt, Florida cops say."