Sarasota County, FL (August 8, 2026) – The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating a two-vehicle crash that left a van and semi-truck overturned on Thursday morning, August 6, on southbound Interstate 75 near MM 174 in Sarasota County. The collision happened at about 10:28 a.m.
According to the crash report, a 62-year-old Tampa man was driving a 2007 Ford van southbound in the right lane with a 48-year-old female passenger. The van was traveling below the minimum speed limit and continued to slow as a 2010 Freightliner pulling a trailer approached from behind.
The 46-year-old Miami man driving the Freightliner could not stop in time and struck the rear of the van. The impact sent the van off the right side of the highway, where it overturned onto its roof in the grassy shoulder. The semi-truck also left the roadway, rotated clockwise, and overturned onto its left side. No injuries were reported in the information provided at the time of this report. The crash remains under investigation.
We hope everyone involved remains safe following the collision.
What Can Happen When a Semi-Truck Rear-Ends a Slower Vehicle?
A rear-end crash involving a commercial truck can result in substantial vehicle movement because of the truck’s size and weight. A truck may require more distance to stop, particularly when traveling behind a slower vehicle.
Investigators may examine vehicle speeds, braking marks, roadway conditions, traffic flow, and the positions of the vehicles before impact. Damage patterns can help show where the vehicles made contact and how they moved afterward. The condition and configuration of a commercial vehicle may also be reviewed as part of the crash assessment.
