Tanker Truck, Car Collide On I-275 North, No Major Injuries: FHP

MANATEE COUNTY, FL — A driver accused of driving while impaired collided with a tanker truck near mile marker 3 on northbound Interstate 275 in Manatee County early Wednesday, the Florida Highway Patrol said in a news release. The car erupted into flames after the crash.

Around 2:40 a.m., a car driven by a 28-year-old Tampa woman was traveling north on I-275 at mile marker 3, negotiating a curve to the left in the inside lane. A fuel tanker truck was also traveling north in the outside lane.

The woman failed to stay in her lane, entering the outside lane and colliding with the left rear drive axle of the truck, FHP said.

The crash forced the truck off the roadway and it came to a stop in the east grass shoulder.

The car also left the roadway after the impact, overturning and colliding with the cable barrier. It came to rest in the median and burst into flames.

The woman, who had only minor injuries, was arrested. She’s charged with driving under the influence, FHP said.

The truck driver, a 64-year-old Parrish man, was uninjured.