No Serious Injuries in Fiery Crash That Closed I-75

An early Friday morning crash involving a semi-truck loaded with lumber resulted in a vehicle fire, but no serious injuries, the Florida Highway Patrol is reporting.

The accident happened around 2 a.m. in the southbound lanes of I-75 near mile marker 202. According to the patrol, Donald Peterson, 37, of Keystone Heights was heading south in the center lane in a semi loaded with lumber. The cargo on Peterson’s trailer shifted, causing his truck to veer left into the median. Peterson over-corrected and veered back to the right, jackknifing the trailer, a highway patrol report said.

When the truck jackknifed, its cargo spilled onto the roadway, troopers said. The truck also ended up stopping across all three southbound lanes of I-75.

A second vehicle, driven by George Kostov, 43, of Nokomis was traveling behind the semi when it jackknifed. Troopers say Kostov was unable to avoid hitting the trailer, but his car became engulfed in flames after the collision.

Kostov, a highway patrol report states, was able to escape the fire.

No serious injuries were reported.

The crash closed all three southbound lanes for several hours Friday morning. As of 5:17 a.m., two lanes had reopened, but one remained close for asphalt repairs following the fire. It is unclear how soon the lane will reopen.

Peterson was cited for careless driving.

Photo courtesy of the Florida Highway Patrol

See Also:

• State Data Leak Impacts Thousands of Floridians
• Video: 3 Children Injured When Waterspout Flips Bounce House

Keep up with what’s happening around town and the state by signing up for your favorite Patch daily newsletter: Bloomingdale-Riverview, Bradenton, Brandon, Carrollwood-Northdale, Clearwater, Dunedin, East Lake, Gulfport, Land O’ Lakes, Largo, Lutz, New Port Richey, New Tampa, Palm Harbor, Pinellas Beaches, Safety Harbor, Sarasota, Seminole Heights, South Tampa-Hyde Park, St. Pete, Tarpon Springs, Temple Terrace, Westchase.