PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — Amid a rainy afternoon across the Tampa Bay area, a driver hydroplaned on Interstate 275 in Pinellas County and then crashed into a firetruck and ambulance, troopers say.
Nobody involved in the crash was hurt, the Florida Highway Patrol said in a news release.
The 39-year-old was driving at around 3:35 p.m. northbound on I-275, south of 54th Avenue North in the left lane while a city of Largo firetruck was traveling in the same direction in the center lane, FHP says. The Sunstar ambulance, meanwhile, was stopped along the northbound shoulder next to the right lane of the interstate.
The man’s car reportedly hydroplaned into the center lane and crashed with the firetruck. This then caused the car to redirect to the shoulder and collide with the rear of the ambulance, troopers say.
All three vehicles ended up on the shoulder of the interstate, authorities say.
Torrential rainfall prompted a flood advisory Wednesday for parts of the Tampa Bay area and is made a mess of the evening commute.
Around the same time of the crash, traffic cameras showed I-275 traffic in Pinellas County going slow with heavy buildups, especially around 5th Avenue North to 54th Avenue North.
At 5 p.m. Wednesday, about 2 to 4 inches of rain were recorded in parts of the St. Petersburg area, according to the National Weather Service.
This amount of rain in a short period of time prompted the advisories for parts of Manatee, Pinellas and Sarasota counties.