View facing south of U.S. 41 in Tampa, FL at South 34th Ave. (on the right) where a 39 year-old motorist was killed on January 18, 2012.

Tampa is located in Hillsborough County, Florida on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico in the western part of the state about 201 miles southwest of Jacksonville, 36 miles southwest of Lakeland and about 23 miles east of Clearwater.

The victim was identified as Melvin James Rolfe, 39 years old from Tampa. The accident occurred shortly after 6:00 a.m. on Thursday while Rolfe was traveling southbound on U.S. 41 near South 34th Ave.

A semi trailer was making a left turn onto U.S. 41 northbound from eastbound 34th Ave South. The tractor trailer stopped in the middle of the highway, blocking all southbound lanes of U.S. 41 to yield to traffic in the northbound lanes.

Map showing location of fatal semi truck accident where a 39 year-old motorist was killed on January 18, 2012 at the intersection of South 34th Ave. and U.S. 41 in Tampa, FL.

Rolfe was in a Ford Explorer traveling south on U.S. 41 in the center lane. He braked and swerved to the right in order to avoid hitting the big rig but was unable to and crashed into the truck’s undercarriage. His vehicle became pinned under the 18 wheeler.

The truck driver, Rafael Meireles, 41 years old, also from Tampa, was not injured in the accident.

The accident is currently under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol.

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Early Wednesday morning Roger Douglas of Lake Butler, FL was driving a semi trailer truck south on Interstate 95, traveling through Palm Beach County. The semi truck was carrying a load of PVC pipes and the truck’s cab had the logo of Silco Carthage, Inc.

Shortly before 3:00 a.m. Hudson Furtado of Orlando, FL was driving a 2005 Mazda sedan southbound on the interstate when he suddenly lost control of his vehicle for unknown reasons in the area near 6th Avenue South. The Mazda crossed over the highway and directly into the path of the semi trailer truck. The truck driver attempted to maneuver to avoid an accident but could not and slammed into the Mazda sedan.

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After hitting the Mazda the tractor trailer crashed into a concrete barrier at the side of the highway and overturned. The force of the truck accident broke open the cargo section and PVC piping spilled all over the interstate. The pipes were strewn across the highway creating an immediate hazard for other drivers on the roadway. At least one witness reported that his windshield was cracked from the piping and debris that flew through the air directly after the collision. Other vehicles drove into the PVC pipes that suddenly fell into the traffic lanes.

At this time it is not known exactly how many other persons or vehicles were ultimately affected by the truck accident.

The impact of the truck accident also punctured the semi’s gas tank and the 18 wheeler exploded into flames. The fire quickly engulfed the trailer truck and local firefighters rushed to the scene to battle the blaze. According to the head of the Palm Beach County Fire Rescue, 12 separate firefighting units responded to the burning semi truck, sending about 25 firefighters. It would take several hours for the crews to finally extinguish the truck fire.

Emergency medical personnel also responded to the truck accident site. Fortunately the driver of the Mazda and the truck driver were apparently both able to escape their vehicles and were not seriously injured.

Florida Highway Patrol shut down a section of I-95 surrounding the truck accident site. Southbound traffic quickly became backed up as investigators and various crews worked at the scene. Highway crews worked to gather the PVC piping and other debris that was scattered across the interstate. Once the fire on the trailer truck was extinguished a heavy duty tow truck was brought in to remove the burnt wreckage of the semi from the highway.

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The truck accident caused extensive damage to both vehicles with one official estimating about $60,000 of damage to the semi trailer and $10,000 to the Mazda sedan.

The traffic lanes on I-95 were finally reopened shortly before 9:00 a.m. Wednesday morning, about 5 hours after the truck accident occurred.

Authorities investigating the truck accident found that the driver of the Mazda, Mr. Furtado, was probably at fault.

According to reports he will likely be charged with Failure to Use Due Care pending the completion of the truck accident investigation.

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The semi cab of the truck burst into flames, almost completely destroying the SUV.

At around 2:00 a.m. Friday morning 39 year old Craig T. Roy from the Jacksonville area was driving a semi trailer truck west on Interstate 4 through Orange County, FL. One unidentified passenger rode along in the cab of the semi. The semi truck belonged to UPS and was pulling two trailers loaded with a full cargo of mail parcels and shipping packages. The corporate offices for UPS (United Parcel Services) are in Atlanta, Georgia.

The UPS tractor trailer was traveling in one of the center lanes of the interstate near the city of Fairview Shores when the driver suddenly lost control of the 18 wheeler in the area between Lee Road and Princeton Street. According to police, the truck driver Mr. Roy told them he was experiencing some kind of mechanical failure that caused him to lose control of the truck.

The UPS tandem trailer jackknifed and slammed into the highway median. The trailer truck hit a Ford Edge SUV driven by Michael Shaver and dragged the SUV along the wall of the interstate before finally coming to a rest. The semi cab of the truck then burst into flames. The SUV was almost completely destroyed in the crash.

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Several passing drivers including a doctor saw the truck accident and stopped to help the victims. Mr. Roy and his passenger were able to crawl out of the burning cab of the semi truck and escape serious injuries. The driver of the Ford SUV, Mr. Shaver, crawled through the back window of his vehicle.

The doctor who stopped was surprised that the three people sustained only minor injuries in the truck accident. Emergency personnel treated and stabilized Mr. Shaver and the passenger in the semi and then transported them to a nearby hospital. The semi driver did not require hospitalization.

The impact of the truck accident damaged at least one fuel tank and about 75 gallons of diesel fuel spilled out onto the interstate, feeding the flames of the truck fire. Local firefighters were soon at the scene and battled the flames.

The force of the truck accident also broke open the UPS trailers and mail packages were strewn all over the highway.

Florida Highway Patrol shut down the westbound lanes of I-4 at Fairbanks Avenue while the EMTs and firefighters worked. Highway crews were brought to the truck accident site to get the wreckage of the UPS trailer truck and Ford Edge SUV off the roadway. Others teams worked to clear the parcels and packages out of the traffic lanes and a Haz-mat crew cleaned up the remains of the spilled diesel fuel.

It would take about five hours to clean up the truck accident scene, causing major delays for the Friday morning commute.

Authorities conducted a reconstruction of the truck accident to determine the cause of the fiery crash. The Florida State Commercial Trucking Investigation Unit is expected to complete a full inspection of the UPS trailer truck since the truck driver claimed mechanical problems led to the crash.

No charges have been brought at this time and the truck accident remains under investigation.

Florida Highway Patrol shut down the interstate for about an hour.

Shortly before 8:00 a.m. Thursday morning 61 year old Richard Wilson of Venice, FL was driving a semi trailer truck south on Interstate 75 in Sarasota County, FL. As Mr. Wilson was traveling near the River Road Exchange near mile marker 191 he reportedly lost control of his 18 wheeler truck.

The tractor trailer truck went off the interstate, hitting a box by the side of the road. The semi truck then crashed into a highway guardrail that apparently broke off and became stuck on the truck’s lower section. The trailer truck dragged the section of guardrail almost a quarter of a mile down the interstate. The guardrail section created sparks as it was pulled along the road surface and these sparks ignited one of the semi truck’s fuel tanks. An unknown quantity of diesel fuel spilled out onto the interstate from the damaged fuel tank.

When the semi trailer finally came to a rest along the interstate, the driver, Mr. Wilson, was able to crawl out of the cab and escape the burning 18 wheeler. Emergency personnel responded to the truck accident scene. EMTs checked out the truck driver, who was uninjured and did not require hospitalization.

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The fire engulfed the trailer truck and local firefighters fought the blazing rig which was completely destroyed and left a burnt shell.

A Haz-Mat team cleaned up and contained the diesel fuel spill while highway crews cleared the debris and worked to remove the wreckage of the demolished semi trailer truck.

Florida Highway Patrol shut down the interstate for about an hour around the truck accident scene while rescue personnel worked and authorities reconstructed the incident. They later opened up some of the interstate while diverting traffic between Jacaranda Avenue and River Road.

Authorities reconstructed the truck accident but have not determined why the semi trailer went out of control and crashed.

No charges or citations have been made at this time and the truck accident remains under investigation.

Florida Highway Patrol was at the scene of the truck accident Sunday and closed down several of the roads and ramps in the area around the overturned tanker.

At around 2:00 p.m. Sunday afternoon a truck driver was driving a tanker truck filled with fuel oil south on Interstate 95 in Dade County, Florida. When the driver approached the area near the Golden Glades Interchange he moved to merge onto the Palmetto Expressway.

As the tanker truck driver took the ramp from south I-95 to the westbound Palmetto Expressway he apparently lost control of his semi truck and the 18 wheeler flipped over on its side. The tanker finally came to a rest on the ramp bridge over the Tri-Rail commuter line, its wheels up against the cement railing. There were no other vehicles involved in the truck accident.

The truck driver was able to escape from the cab of his semi truck, and emergency personnel who responded to the scene treated him for minor injuries at the site.

The impact of the truck accident apparently punctured the tank and thousands of gallons of fuel oil spilled out onto the interstate. A great deal of the hazardous liquid also fell onto the Tri-Rail railroad tracks below the interstate ramp bridge, making them unsafe for travel. Tri-Rail officials immediately stopped running several trains, interrupting the regular service of the commuter line.

Florida Highway Patrol was at the scene of the truck accident Sunday and closed down several of the roads and ramps in the area around the overturned tanker. The roads would remain closed for hours as crews worked to clear the roadway. They had to bring in another tanker truck and transfer the fuel oil that remained in the disabled truck before attempting to get the overturned rig back on its wheels so that it could be moved off the interstate. This process took many hours and it was not until late Sunday night that the 18 wheeler was finally back up and ready to be towed.

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Haz-Mat teams were brought in to clean the fuel spill from the highway ramp and also from the rail road tracks below the overturned tanker truck. Crews were still working on the oil spill Sunday night, hoping to have it cleared in time for the Monday morning commute.

While the roads and rail line were closed down, FHP and local police were rerouting traffic and commuters around the truck accident site at the southbound I-95 exit to west Palmetto Expressway. The other interstate roads affected included the I-95 north and south flyover express lanes, the connecting ramp between Palmetto and NW 167th Street, and the Florida Turnpike’s southbound exit to the eastbound lanes of the Palmetto Expressway.

Tri-Rail brought in buses to take stranded riders between the Hollywood and Opalocka Stations.
FHP is investigating the tanker truck accident and preliminary findings point to speed being a factor. They believe the truck driver may have taken the exit ramp too fast and this caused him to lose control of his semi tanker truck.

No charges have been brought at this time and the truck accident remains under investigation.

Tractor trailer crashes into Pontiac Grand Prix headed eastbound on Highway 164 in McDavid FL

According to officers with the Florida Highway Patrol, 28 year old Madeline Hope Johnson was driving her Pontiac Grand Prix eastbound on Highway 164 with her two children in the car, an eight year old and a twelve year old.

At approximately 7:15 p.m., as Ms. Johnson reached the intersection of Highway 164 and Highway 29/South Century Blvd., she reportedly lost control of her car and was unable to stop. The Grand Prix entered the highway intersection directly in the path of a semi tractor trailer driven by 56 year old Willie Lee Bell of Atlanta, Georgia. The 18 wheeler was traveling south on Highway 29/South Century Blvd in the outside lane when the Johnson car pulled into its path.

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Bell later told FHP officers and troopers from the Escambia County Sheriff’s Department that he did not see the car approaching the intersection until the last moment. He said that he changed lanes in attempt to get out of the way but was unable to avoid a collision with the car, and the Grand Prix slid under the tractor trailer. The semi truck drove over the car and completely flattened the front section of the Grand Prix.

Local emergency personnel from the McDavid Fire Rescue and Escambia County Emergency Medical Services responded to the truck accident scene and helped extricate Ms. Johnson and her two children from the demolished car. Once the mother and children were free they were stabilized at the scene and then transported to a local hospital by the Atmore Ambulance Company.

The mother sustained minor injuries in the truck accident, but there was no information about the extent of the injuries that the two children suffered. The truck driver was apparently uninjured in the truck collision.

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According to one report, the mother spoke to officers after the truck accident and told them that her car brakes had failed. However, firefighters at a nearby station told authorities that they heard the truck collision but they did not hear either the car or the truck brake.

The road conditions appeared to be normal at the time of the truck accident and no adverse weather conditions reported. There have been no charges or citations at this time, and the truck accident remains under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol.

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Two-truck crash near Orlando, FL involving a FedEx trailer and another big rig hauling hardware store products. Photo credit: Florida Highway Patrol

The driver of the FedEx truck was Jorge Dipre, 38 years old from Port St. Lucie, FL. The driver of the other semi truck was Carl W. Van Wasshnova, 54 years old from Port Orange, FL, who was killed in the accident.

Location of the fatal semi truck accident near Orlando Florida

According to the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) the FedEx semi truck was pulling two trailers and was driving northbound on the exit ramp to Orange Blossom Trail and another semi was hauling a load of hardware store products and was travelling on the southbound ramp when it crossed over the concrete median and guardrail and collided with the FedEx truck splitting the trailers in two. One of the severed trailers overturned onto the east shoulder of the exit ramp.

The FHP said that Van Wasshnova was taken by ambulance to Orlando Regional Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. According to the FHP he may have had a medical condition that caused him to lose control of his rig. The crash remains under investigation.

Dipre, the FedEx driver, was not injured in the accident.

Below is a Google street view of the Florida Turnpike. You can click and drag the mouse button to pan around the scene of the accident and get a feel for the lay of the land.

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Contact a Florida truck accident attorney if you’ve been injured in a truck accident in Orlando, Florida. Find a truck accident lawyer at TruckAccidents360.com today who specializes in representing victims involved in truck injury accidents.

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Thirty nine chidren involved in school bus and Terminix truck accident. near Tampa, Florida

According to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, the school bus and the truck were traveling in opposite directions on 21st Ave. SE when they crashed. Deputies say the truck driver was signaling to turn left but instead continued to drive straight, while the school bus, also signaling to turn left on to 6th St. SE, turned directly into the path of the truck driver.

Deputies say there were 39 children on board the bus headed to Beth Shields Middle School at the time of the accident. Ten were transported to local hospitals with injuries that appeared to be only minor. The bus driver, Olga Guerrero, was also transported to Brandon Hospital after complaining of injury. The driver of the truck, Douglas Hayes, was not hurt.

Deputies say Guerrero was cited for a right-of-way violation. The bus was heavily damaged and was taken to the Hillsborough County Transportation Department to see if it could be repaired.

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Tampa truck accident involving Walmart Semi Trailer

The driver of the 1991 Toyota van was reportedly driving south on I-275 at a high rate of speed and weaving in and out of traffic. The van driver apparently lost control of his vehicle and crashed into the guardrail at Floribraska Avenue according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

After slamming into the guardrail the van moved back onto the road and into the path of the Wal-Mart truck. The truck pushed the Toyota van until both vehicles came to a stop.

Sgt. Larry Kraus, a spokesman for the Florida Highway Patrol stated that “The van was driving erratically according to [a] witness and changed lanes in front of the tractor trailer.”

Kraus continued that at approximately 7:40 p.m. the minivan was hit in the rear by the Wal-Mart truck. One of the van’s passengers was ejected due to the impact. The other passenger had to be extracted from the van which was pinned under the trailer truck.

The van’s passengers were identified as Cliatt Adelbert, 53 years old of Tampa, FL and Victure White, 49 years old also from Tampa. Both van passengers were transported to Tampa General Hospital and it is believed they both suffered serious injuries.

The Wal-Mart truck driver was identified as James Ronald Busch, 54 years old of Nicholls, GA. Mr. Busch was not injured in the crash. However the damages to his trailer truck were estimated at about $7000.

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Due to the accident Florida troopers closed down three lanes of Interstate 275 Wednesday night as they investigated the collision. The accident remains under investigation and charges are pending.

Contact a Tampa truck accident attorney if you’ve been injured in a truck accident in Tampa, Florida. Find a Florida truck accident lawyer at TruckAccidents360.com today who specializes in representing victims involved in truck injury accidents.