Wrong-way driver on Florida interstate causes 3 crashes before being pulled over, troopers say
Updated May 02, 2021;
TAMPA, Fla. A wrong-way driver caused three crashes along a three-mile stretch of Interstate 4 before he was stopped by deputies early Sunday, the Florida Highway Patrol said.
Deputies believe Terrence Murphy, 28, of Tampa, was intoxicated when he got behind the wheel of a 2011 Dodge Journey and began driving east in the westbound lanes of I-4.
Investigators are still trying to determine where Murphy entered the highway and when he started driving the wrong way.
The first of the crashes came at 6:20 p.m. when a driver was forced to swerve into a barrier wall to avoid hitting Murphy head-on near the 50th Street interchange, the Highway Patrol said. Murphy kept driving and forced a second motorist to steer out of his path and into another westbound vehicle near the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard interchange, the Highway Patrol said.
Wrong-way driver arrested following several crashes on I-4
By FOX 13 News Staff
Published
Courtesy: Florida Highway Patrol
TAMPA, Fla. - Terrence Murphy, 28, of Tampa, is facing multiple charges after troopers say he drove the wrong way on I-4 and caused several vehicles to crash as they swerved to avoid hitting him head-on.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, Murphy was traveling eastbound in the westbound lanes of I-4 around 6:20 a.m.
Troopers say a vehicle collided with the highway barrier wall when the driver took action to avoid crashing into Murphy. A mile down the road, another vehicle collided with an adjacent vehicle in an attempt to avoid crashing head-on with Murphy. Two miles further down the road, a third vehicle also crashed into highway barriers as the driver avoided crashing into Murphy.
Wrong-way driver on I-4 forces three vehicles to swerve and crash, troopers say tampabay.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from tampabay.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Sunburn â The morning read of whatâs hot in Florida politics â 4.22.21
Don t miss your first look at stories driving today s agenda in Florida politics.
If it’s time for a pickle pizza, that must mean it’s time for the Florida State Fair.
Yes, that 11-day celebration of crafts, displays, agriculture exhibits, thrill rides, and really weird food begins today at the state fairgrounds in Tampa.
Normally by now, the Fair would be long gone, but as we all know, there is nothing normal about this time. Originally scheduled to open on Feb. 11, organizers deferred to COVID-19 and moved the Fair back more than two months.