FHP Trooper sustains minor injuries after hitting pickup truck that improperly turned in front of his patrol car
BY JENNIFER CABRERA
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – A 44-year-old male Florida Highway Patrol Trooper from Gainesville sustained minor injuries today when his patrol car hit a pickup truck with a trailer that improperly made a U-turn in front of him.
According to a release from Florida Highway Patrol, a pickup truck driven by a 69-year-old man from Houma, Louisiana was towing a trailer eastbound in the inside lane of NW 39th Avenue at 1:11 p.m. today when the driver attempted a U-turn at NW 91st Street. The front of the patrol car collided with the left side of the pickup truck and rotated. The driver of the pickup truck was cited for violating the right-of-way. No injuries were reported from the driver or passenger of the pickup truck. The Trooper sustained minor injuries.
Was the trooper who wrote the citation the one who was in the accident? He may have been driving too close & tailgating… I always give a little more breaking distance when
I’m behind someone pulling a trailer.
From my read, it appears the truck and trailer attempted to make a wide left U-turn and possibly didn’t see the FHP vehicle on his left side. I don’t see any other explanation for the front side of the FHP vehicle hitting the left side of the driver’s vehicle.
I don’t know if LEOs are authorized to cite drivers they are involved in traffic accidents with.
That would make them more like the City of Gainesville doing their own audits.
Drive defensively. That applies to you as well, FHP.