Driver Distracted by Spilled Coffee Cup Rear Ends Car On I-75, Critically Injuring 2 Boys

LUTZ, FL — A spilled cup of coffee resulted in a three-car pileup on Interstate 75 in Pasco County that critically injured a 13-year-old and a 14-year-old boy.

According to the Florida Highway Patrol, at 11 a.m. Thursday, a 33-year-old Brooksville man was driving a pickup truck south on I-75 just south of Overpass Road when he became distracted after spilling a cup of coffee and failed to see a car driven by a 27-year-old Horatio City woman and a car driven by a 28-year-old Mascotte man slow down on the highway in front of him.

The pickup truck struck the rear of the Horatio City woman's car, propelling it into the rear of the Mascotte man's car.

The Mascotte and Brooksville men were not injured. But two children in the Horatio City woman's car were critically injured and a 33-year-old man riding in the car was seriously injured.

They were airlifted by helicopter to a local hospital.

#TRAFFIC ALERT: I-75 SB just south of Overpass Rd is shut down due to a serious injury crash. 3 vehicles involved with 5 patients. 3 Patents airlifted by helicopters and 2 patients transported by ground. 4 of the 5 patents are trauma alerts. Find an alternate route. #PCFRNews pic.twitter.com/NJg6EzWtqn
— Pasco Fire Rescue (@PascoFireRescue) October 7, 2021