SHADY HILLS, Fla. — A Pinellas County Sheriff's deputy was rushed to the hospital with serious injuries after he collided with a propane tanker truck in Pasco County, Florida Highway Patrol said.
The crash happened shortly before 5:30 a.m. Tuesday on Hudson Avenue west of Hays Road in Shady Hills, near Spring Hill.
Troopers say an Amerigas Propane tanker truck, driven by a 60-year-old Spring Hill man, was backing up across the eastbound and westbound lanes of Hudson Avenue to get into a private driveway.
As the tanker was backing up, an on-duty Pinellas Sheriff's deputy, 32-year-old Dakota Dellechiaie, was driving eastbound down Hudson Avenue in his marked patrol SUV.
Just west of Hays Road, Dellechiaie's Tahoe collided with the tanker and traveled under the trailer part. A photo from FHP shows the crushed top of the deputy's SUV.
Dellechiaie had to be extricated from his destroyed SUV by fire rescue crews. He reportedly suffered serious head injuries as a result of the crash and was rushed to an area hospital. According to the sheriff's office, Dellechiaie has been with the agency since 2019 and he is the father of four children.
The tanker truck driver was not hurt in the crash.
Drivers are being advised to avoid Hudson Avenue for the next few hours as crews burn off propane in the tanker at the time of the collision.