Motorist Critically Injured In I-4 Crash

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, FL — A 26-year-old Lakeland man was critically injured in an early Thursday morning crash on Interstate 4 near Branch Forbes Road.

According to the Florida Highway Patrol, the man, who has not yet been identified, was heading east on I-4 in the center lane west of Branch Forbes Road around 4 a.m. At the same time, a semi-truck driven by Yonlys Pena, 44, of Tampa was also heading east in the outside lane.

Troopers say the first driver’s Lexus drifted into the lane occupied by the semi-truck. The right front of the Lexus hit the rear of the trailer the semi was towing. The Lexus, a highway patrol report said, then overturned several times.

The man was taken to Tampa General Hospital for treatment. Troopers say he was critically injured.

Pena was not injured in the crash, which closed portions of I-4 until about 7:30 a.m. Thursday morning.

Charges in the crash are pending, the highway patrol said. No further information is available at this time.

Photo courtesy of the Florida Highway Patrol

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