Man injured in I-75 crash while FaceTiming wife, taking photos of earlier crash

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — A Riverview man was involved in a crash on I-75 while on FaceTime with his spouse and taking photos of an earlier accident involving a jackknifed tractor-trailer, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

The 31-year-old man was driving a BMW X3 southbound on I-75 near State Road 60 late Thursday morning.

As he approached the scene of an earlier crash, where a tractor trailer had jackknifed and collided with a guardrail, he slowed to nearly a stop to take pictures or video while on a FaceTime call.

The earlier accident, which occurred around 9 a.m., involved a 45-year-old Ruskin man who lost control of the truck while navigating a curve. Although the truck’s driver was uninjured, the crash caused a fuel leak that blocked several lanes, causing significant delays.

As the Riverview man slowed to capture the scene, a 67-year-old Melbourne Beach woman driving a Dodge Caliber behind him was unable to stop in time, resulting in a rear-end collision.

Both drivers were taken to area hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries.

The Florida Highway Patrol continues to investigate both incidents and urges drivers to remain focused on the road, particularly in the vicinity of crash scenes, to avoid further accidents.

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