Woman distracted by phone hits semi, claiming the life of trucker, troopers say
The Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) says that distracted driving appears to be the cause of a fatal two vehicle collision early this morning.
The incident occurred around 3:20 a.m. on May 6 in Palm Coast, Florida.
According to FHP, an 18 year old woman was driving a car southbound on I-95 near mile marker 294 when she said that she looked at her phone and drifted from the center lane to the outer lane.
Troopers say that the woman overcorrected, veering from the shoulder of the interstate back to the center lane, where she collided with a southbound semi truck hauling lumber that was also in the center lane.
The 56 year old Florida-based truck driver lost control and veered off the left side of I-95. The truck then rolled over and hit a guardrail.
The woman’s car skidded back across southbound I-95, coming to a stop on the right shoulder.
The truck driver was ejected through the windshield and died as a result of the crash.
The woman survived and was taken to the hospital for treatment.
The incident shut down both directions of I-95 for cleanup and investigation of the crash, but all lanes have since reopened.
FHP has not released the names of the people involved in the crash.
The crash remains under investigation.