TAMPA, Fla. — Dive teams have resumed their search for the driver and other potential people in the white SUV that went off the Howard Frankland Bridge during a crash Wednesday morning.
The dive teams called off the search Wednesday afternoon around 3 p.m. when they said the water was between 18 to 20 feet deep with low visibility.
As of Thursday morning, the occupants of the SUV have not been found. Multiple sheriff's offices, police, FWC and the Coast Guard will continue the search Thursday.
Rescue divers located and pulled the white SUV out of Tampa Bay a few hours after the crash on the bridge, but have not located any occupants.
All the lanes of southbound I-275 have been reopened following the crash.
A Florida Highway Patrol spokesperson said the 2006 SUV was traveling south on I-275 in a "reckless manner" near the 34 milepost and changed lanes into the path of a pickup truck that was heading the same way.
The SUV was tailgating, FHP says, and changed lanes multiple times. The SUV changed lanes in the path of the pickup truck and as a result, FHP says the SUV hit the front right side of the truck.
The SUV rotated counter-clockwise into the center concrete wall and the truck overturned several times, blocking the inside, center, and outside center lanes. The SUV hit the concrete barrier and continued to travel over the wall into Tampa Bay.
Authorities have not commented on the condition of the other driver.
The Florida Highway Patrol says this is only the second time in ten years a vehicle has gone off the Howard Frankland Bridge into the water.
According to FDOT, the Howard Frankland barriers were built according to the standards in 1990 requiring 32-inch railings. These railings are similar to what's commonly known as “Jersey barriers”, or concrete median walls.
Nowadays, the standard requires 38-inch railings based on the average size and weight of modern vehicles. FDOT plans to use 42-inch railings on the upcoming northbound bridge with construction set to start in 2020.
A Coast Guard vessel from St. Pete has been assisting local law enforcement marine units in the rescue and recovery efforts.
FHP troopers continue to investigate the crash and are looking for witnesses to the crash. Anyone with information is asked to call (813) 558-1800.
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