3 Dead in I-275 Wrong-Way Crash

An early Sunday morning crash on Interstate 275 left three people dead and tangled traffic on the roadway for hours.

The crash occurred around 6 a.m. when a Honda driven by Gabrielle Lanier, 33, of Tampa was traveling southbound in a northbound lane of the interstate and collided head-on with a tractor trailer hauling fuel, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. The accident took place south of Bearss Avenue. Troopers say it is unclear how far down the interstate the Honda traveled in the wrong lane before the crash occurred.

All three occupants in the Honda died at the scene. The tractor trailer’s driver, Michael Kellogg, 50, of Lakeland was injured in the wreck.

The passengers in Lanier’s vehicles were her sister Lakritra Lanier, 31, and family friend John Lee Pierson, 26, of Riverview.

No fuel spilled as a result of the crash, but lanes of I-275 remained closed until about 11:30 a.m. Sunday. It is unclear at this time what caused the crash, which is the fourth fatal wrong-way crash on I-275 since February. The investigation likely won’t be complete for weeks as troopers await the results of toxicology exams.

Photo Credit: Rescue workers on the scene of Sunday’s fatal wrong-way crash on Interstate 275. Photo courtesy of the Florida Highway Patrol