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Treacherous day for I-75 drivers

 
State troopers investigate the scene of an accident involving a truck and a motorcycle Friday morning at Fowler Avenue and Interstate 75, where the motorcyclist died. The service truck in the photograph was not involved in the accident. {SKIP O'ROURKE | Times}
State troopers investigate the scene of an accident involving a truck and a motorcycle Friday morning at Fowler Avenue and Interstate 75, where the motorcyclist died. The service truck in the photograph was not involved in the accident. {SKIP O'ROURKE | Times}
Published Oct. 25, 2014

TAMPA — Friday proved to be particularly treacherous for drivers on Interstate 75.

Four separate traffic incidents — two fatalities and two overturned vehicles — resulted in lane closures and long delays.

The first death happened about 4 a.m. near Gibsonton Drive in Gibsonton. A woman, Juana Medellin, 43, of Wimauma, was apparently walking in the center lane of the highway for unknown reasons, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. Mieko Ellen Franz, 55, of Valrico, driving a 2008 Honda Civic, hit Medellin. She later died at Tampa General Hospital.

Neither Medellin nor Franz had been drinking, troopers said. Franz was not charged. The incident resulted in partial lane closures and slow traffic for more than three hours.

The second fatality occurred about 6:35 a.m. on Fowler Avenue at the entrance ramp to southbound I-75.

Ricky William Brown Jr., 35, of Riverview, was driving a dump truck and towing a trailer.

As he turned left from the westbound lanes of Fowler onto the entrance ramp, troopers said, a motorcycle heading east on Fowler clipped the trailer.

The rider, a 42-year-old man whose name was not released Friday, flew off the motorcycle and died at the scene. He was not wearing a helmet, troopers said.

Apparently unaware his truck had been involved in the crash, Brown initially continued south on I-75. He heard about the crash on the radio and returned to the scene, authorities said. The incident closed the entrance ramp to southbound I-75 and all eastbound lanes of Fowler for hours during the morning commute.

Earlier Friday, about 1:35 a.m., Cristo Jesus Rodriguez Vazquez, 20, of Miami lost control of his semitrailer truck while on I-75 near Blanton Road in Dade City and drove onto the grassy shoulder, troopers said.

Vazquez tried to steer back onto the road, but instead collided with a guard rail and the truck overturned. The crash closed all lanes of I-75 north for about three hours. Vazquez was cited with careless driving, troopers said.

At 3:05 p.m., Craig Steven Thompson, 55, of Pinellas Park, was towing a trailer with his Ford van north on I-75 near Fletcher Avenue. A pickup truck changed lanes in front of him and he lost control trying to avoid a collision, troopers said. Thompson's van overturned, spilled aluminum building materials from the trailer, and the northbound lanes were closed for two hours Friday afternoon.

Times staff writers Zachary T. Sampson and Keeley Sheehan contributed to this report. Contact Josh Solomon at (813) 226-3446 or jsolomon@tampabay.com. Follow @josh_solomon15.

(The photo caption with this story has been changed to reflect the following correction and clarification: A motorcyclist who died in a crash Friday at Fowler Avenue and I-75 hit a truck, but not the one in the photo. The service truck in the photo came along later and ended up on top of the motorcycle. This truck did not come in contact with the driver, who had been thrown clear of the cycle.)