According to the Florida Highway Patrol, officers tracked down a driver they believed was involved in a fatal drag race near Tampa. FHP has said that criminal charges are being considered.
Tuesday afternoon, state troopers reported two vehicles racing each other at high speeds in the southbound center lane on U.S. 41.
According to a news statement, a collision occurred at around 1:15 p.m. when a pickup truck traveling east on South 16th Avenue attempted to turn left in front of the racers.
FHP reported that the crash was so severe that it completely severed the pickup truck in two, killing the 26-year-old Tampa man driving it.
The pickup’s cab ended up in the southbound lanes, while the bed landed in the northbound lanes, according to the troopers.
FHP said that after the original collision, the car that had hit the truck spun around and hit the rear of a tractor-trailer that had stopped at the intersection of South 16th Avenue and East Fifth Street.
Troopers reported the second race participant continued driving south on U.S. 41 after avoiding an accident.
On Wednesday, the FHP located the car and reported that the driver was cooperative. The filing of charges has not yet occurred.
The pick-up’s driver, a 33-year-old male from Tampa, was just slightly hurt in the collision, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. The semi-truck driver walked away unscathed.