Father Struck By 3 Vehicles Trying To Cross I-75 While Son Looked On

WESLEY CHAPEL, FL — A 41-year-old Tampa man was killed Thursday morning while trying to cross Interstate 75 to get help after his 2002 Ford Expedition broke down on the highway. The man was struck by three vehicles in front of his 20-year-old son who remained beside the Expedition.

According to the Florida Highway Patrol, at 5:07 a.m., the man and his son were heading south on Interstate 75 in Wesley Chapel when their SUV became disabled and they pulled over to the shoulder of the highway.

Troopers said both the father and son got out of the SUV and the father attempted to cross the highway to find assistance. Three vehicles, including a van driven by a 66-year-old Inverness man, an SUV driven by a 54-year-old Brooksville man and a pickup truck driven by a 54-year-old New Port Richey man, struck him, one after the other, before stopping.

The Tampa man died at the scene.

The crash forced the closure of I-75 at State Road 56 until 2:30 p.m.