Posted on 02/21/2014 5:05:54 PM PST by Impala64ssa
--
A Riverview man was killed early Friday morning when he was involved in a wrong-way crash on I-275.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, Chase Kaleb Leveille, 25, was driving a 1993 red Honda Civic north in the center lane of southbound I-275 near Bearss Avenue at 2:35 a.m.
Troopers said Leveille was going the wrong way for three miles before hitting an Enterprise rental truck heading south in the center lane at the same time.
Investigators said the two vehicles collided head-on just north of Bearss Avenue. The vehicles skidded about 500 feet before coming to rest in the inside emergency and travel lanes.
Leveille died at the scene of the crash. Investigators said it appears as though Leveille was initially traveling southbound on I-275 near Busch Boulevard when, for unknown reasons, he made a U-turn on the interstate and began driving north until he collided with the truck.
The two people inside the rental truck sustained minor injuries.
“I feel blessed to be alive. I got lucky,” said Joe Smith, who was inside the truck.
Leveille’s mother said her son went out with friends prior to the crash.
“I told him have fun and enjoy himself. I told him I’d see him tomorrow,” said Jane Leveille.
She said she can only guess her son got confused. She said he would never try to hurt anyone on purpose.
“I don’t know what he was doing. I know he went with his friends last night. And… I don’t know what happened, I don’t,” she said.
All lanes of I-275 were closed until 5:30 a.m., when the northbound lanes were re-opened. The southbound lanes were re-opened at 6:30 a.m.
This wrong-way crash was on the same stretch of road where five people lost their lives in a similar head on collision this month.
Troopers also haven’t figured out why the driver in that case went the wrong way. The crash killed four USF students, and the wrong-way driver.
the bermuda triangle has shifted due to global warming
With all the technology we have today like, traffic radar, motion detecting cameras, speed and traffic sensors, etc., you would think that some kind of early warning system could be employed to help prevent these kinds of tragedies.
This being a divided roadway, my guess is the guy got confused and entered the highway via an exit, and kept on going, never quite wondering why he was on the left side of the road.
It’s also possible that the exit lacked a no-entry sign for wrong-way traffic.
They should install one-way spikes on every exit ramp. Let these confused Darwin Award candidates rip up all four wheels of their car for being stupid.
Is it also possible that he committed suicide?
He didn’t enter through an exit ramp. It says he was going one direction, whipped a U-ey, headed in the opposite direction and plowed into the truck.
Just sayin’.
It's also possible he had no idea it was a divided roadway, which is why he did the U-turn. I suspect some kind of intoxication or simple sleep deprivation.
I’m familiar with that stretch of I-275. Unless your sh!tfaced or suicidal, it’s not easy using the exit ramps to get on in this section of Tampa.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.