THONOTOSASSA, Fla. — A man was fatally struck by dump truck on Wednesday morning while pushing his disabled vehicle.
According to Florida Highway Patrol, the problem began when a school bus traveling northbound on U.S. 301 stopped at St. Francis Lane to pick up a child.
The driver of a green Honda stopped behind the stopped bus, but then the vehicle had a mechanical issue, causing the Honda to stall.
A spokesperson for FHP says the driver then got out to push his car out of the road, and the driver of a dump truck failed to see the man pushing his car, and drove into him.
The driver of the Honda, Damian Wellington, 25, of Zephyrhills, was killed in the crash. The dump truck driver, and the occupants of the bus, were not injured.
The crash has local residents asking for more law enforcement patrol of the area around U.S. 301.
"Every day I travel up and down 301, every morning, every afternoon. This highway out here is very dangerous," says Brett Boyer who commutes to Tampa each day for work.
"We don't see a lot of law enforcement out here patrolling out here to catch those aggressive drivers, and it just puts everyone at risk," adds Boyer.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office initially reported the crash as involving a child, but that turned out not to be the case.
TRAFFIC: Deputies on scene, assisting the Florida Highway Patrol, traffic crash with injuries, truck vs. child, Highway 301 N between McIntosh Road and County Line Road is CLOSED. @FLHSMV
— HCSO (@HCSOSheriff) January 10, 2018
