TAMPA, Fla. — Two Florida Highway Patrol vehicles were involved in a crash on Interstate 75 near Fletcher Avenue in Hillsborough County Wednesday afternoon after a pursuit, authorities say.
Both vehicles were K-9 units with one being in a Chevy Tahoe and the other in a Ford Explorer, the Florida Highway Patrol said in a news release.
Troopers and the dogs involved in the crash all suffered non-life-threatening injuries, FHP says.
At 3:17 p.m., troopers say they tried to pull over Wilfredo Diaz, 35, of Ruskin in his BMV SUV for following too closely on Interstate 4 near Thonotosassa Road.
Instead, Diaz drove away from law enforcement and went westbound on the interstate then headed northbound on I-75, troopers say.
When Diaz reached south of Fletcher Avenue, he reportedly slowed down suddenly so he could drive onto the grass median and try to do a U-turn to get away from authorities.
That's when troopers also drove onto the grass median, but the Chevy Tahoe was not able to slow down enough on the grass and crashed with the rear of the Ford Explorer, FHP says.
The Chevy Tahoe ended up on the side of the road with front-end damage to the vehicle, while the Ford Explorer was flipped in the median, officials say.
The troopers were taken to a nearby hospital, whereas the K-9s were transported to an area veterinarian where they were treated and released.
The incident impacted both the north and southbound lanes and initially led to the closure of at least three northbound lanes. All lanes were reopened at 6:11 p.m.
Diaz's car got stuck in the median and he was arrested by troopers, the news release mentions.
He was taken to the Hillsborough County Jail and charged with fleeing and eluding, driving while license suspended as a habitual offender and possession of one kilo of cocaine that was found in his SUV.