Truck driver of the crash on 301, has died.
MANATEE COUNTY - Raymond A. Neumann, the tanker truck driver critically injured when his rig plunged from a bridge and exploded on U.S. 301, died this afternoon at Tampa General Hospital, a family member said.Neumann, 54, was driving south on Interstate 75 on Wednesday when he swerved to avoid a pickup truck that authorities say spun out after merging onto the highway from U.S. 301. Neumann's truck, carrying 8,000 gallons of fuel, struck the vehicle before plunging over a bridge and exploding in a fireball that damaged the bridge.
Construction crews are working to rebuild the section of the bridge that was damaged in the crash and fire.
Southbound traffic on Interstate 75 is expected to be diverted Monday onto the northbound lanes of the highway.
Zep Construction of Fort Myers, was the lowest bidder for the reconstruction of the damaged bridge, and the state Saturday awarded a six-week contract for $1.7 million.
I'm saddened to hear he has died, it was a tragic accident and probably avoidable if the driver of the pickup truck that Neumann was swerving to avoid, had been driving more carefully on the rain slicked roads.
That driver, Fernando Aguilera, is not facing any criminal charges, but has been cited for careless driving.
75 and 301 is pretty much the way I need to go on Friday to get to Tampa to see my surgeon, Doc M.
I'm sure we could take US41, but even that will be packed.
In order to make sure I get to his office by 11:15am, we will need to leave no later than 9am, possibly even earlier depending on how the traffic reports say things are going all week.
I'll be paying close attention to it all week, that's for sure.
75 is the fastest way to get from anywhere north, to anywhere south in this state, so having an entire section of the southbound lanes closed off and rerouted to merge with the northbound lanes, is really an awful huge mess.
But my thoughts are with Mr. Neumann's family and friends, he was just trying to avoid hitting the other driver.
