2 Crashes, 1 Fatal, Close Interstate 75 For 3 Hours

NEW TAMPA, FL — The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating two crashes on Interstate 75 north of Fletcher Avenue that shut down the northbound lanes of the interstate for more than three hours Tuesday morning.

According to the FHP, at 10:15 a.m., Aviance M. Torres Guzman, 33, of Brandon was driving a Chevrolet pickup truck north on Interstate 75 at a fast speed when she overtook and collided with the rear of a Ford box truck driven by Ivan A. Negron, 36, of St. Cloud.

Guzman was transported to AdventHealth where she died.

About 45 minutes later, a Riverview man sustained serious injuries following a pileup about 500 feet north of the fatal accident.

According to the Florida Highway Patrol, around 11 a.m. James R. Mitchell, 38, of Riverview was driving a Ford Escape south on Interstate 75 near Fletcher Avenue when he lost control.

The Escape overturned several times across the median and into the northbound lanes, crashing into a Chevrolet Traverse driven by Thomas Charles Thiele, 59, of Port Huron, Michigan, a Jeep Cherokee driven by Joanne Wessels, 70, of Fort Myers, a Chevrolet Malibu driven by Chiquita Brandon, 43, of Memphis, Tennessee, and a Hyundai Tucson driven by Cynthia K. Eller, 66, of Thonotosassa.

The four vehicles were stopped in traffic in the two inside lanes of northbound I-75 due to the fatal crash ahead.

Troopers said all other injuries were minor.