SUV, Coca-Cola Truck Collide On I-4

PLANT CITY, FL — An early Thursday morning collision between a SUV and a Coca-Cola truck created a bit of a mess on Interstate 4, but no major injuries – or soda spills – were reported.

According to the Florida Highway Patrol, Hailey Ruiz, 16, of Plant City was heading west on I-4 near Park Road around 5 a.m. Feb. 23. At Ruiz traveled in the center lane in a Chevrolet SUV, a Coca-Cola truck driven by Michael Green, 26, of Plant City was in the outside lane.

Troopers say Ruiz lost control of her SUV, traveled into the median, rotated and then went back across all westbound lanes. When the SUV went back into the westbound lanes, Ruiz’s SUV hit the trailer the semi was towing, a highway patrol report said.

The collision between the SUV and trailer caused the Coca-Cola truck to overturn and rotate. It ended up stopping in the inside and center lanes, the report said. The soda on board, however, “remained contained within the trailer,” the report added.

Ruiz and her passenger, a 7-year-old boy, both suffered minor injuries, the highway patrol said. Neither required hospitalization. Green also suffered minor injuries and was not hospitalized.

Ruiz was cited for careless driving after the crash.

Photos courtesy of the Florida Highway Patrol