Teen driver of Corvette rear-ends box truck on Alligator Alley, killing the driver, FHP says
A man is dead after his truck was hit from behind by a Corvette on Alligator Alley — causing the vehicle to flip and catch fire Tuesday afternoon, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
The crash happened around noon and shut down the northbound lanes of the Alligator Alley entrance of Interstate 75 well into late afternoon, diverting all traffic in the area to U.S. 27, said FHP Lt. Indiana Miranda.
Both the Chevy box truck and the Chevy Corvette were traveling west in the left lane on I-75 when the driver of the sports car, an 18-year-old man police have not named, slammed into the back of the truck, Miranda said.
Alligator Alley is the stretch of I-75 spanning across the Everglades from Broward County to the Naples area on the Gulf coast.
The impact caused the box truck to flip before coming to a final rest in the grassy center median, where it became engulfed in flames, Miranda said.
Other drivers tried to rescue the driver, who has not been named, but the fire prevented them from being able to get inside the truck, according to Miranda. He was pronounced dead at the scene, Miranda said.
Witnesses said the operator of the Corvette was driving recklessly before he hit the box truck, Miranda said.
Miranda noted the Corvette driver is not in custody, and he showed no signs of impairment. However, troopers are conducting a criminal traffic investigation into the crash, she added.
