TAMPA, Fla. — The driver of an 18-wheeler found half submerged early Monday morning in the Tampa Bypass Canal after losing control on Interstate 75 has been found dead, authorities confirmed.
Emergency crews responded to a call around 2:30 a.m. on the interstate near Fowler Avenue and located the truck teetering on the barrier wall with the cab still out of the water.
The driver of the truck, a 64-year-old New Albany, Mississippi, man, was traveling southbound near mile 263 before he lost control in wet conditions and traveled over the barrier, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
Fifteen minutes into the incident, the front cab became submerged in the water, according to Hillsborough County Fire Rescue. Multiple units responded to the scene to try and save whoever was inside.
Divers who located the driver later Monday morning found the cab under about 40 feet of water, troopers said.
The truck itself was removed from the water and will be inspected, authorities said. The Florida Highway Patrol now is tasked with the investigation.
