TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Every day when he goes to work, an hour and 15 minutes each way, James Anderson commutes along I-75 from Weeki Wachee to Brandon and back. But in all his miles, he never saw anything like Wednesday’s crash involving Florida Highway Patrol vehicles.
“I see a lot of stuff,” Anderson said. “But that was the first I ever seen that.”
Anderson got a front row seat to the rollover crash on I-75 NB and caught the aftermath on his phone.
He was driving in the far left lane when it all started.
“I just seen a bunch of dust and the next you know, I look over,” Anderson recalled. “He was literally between me and the guardrail.”
According to Florida Highway Patrol, Ruskin resident Wilfredo Diaz led police on a 120 mph chase in his white BMW. Officials said when Diaz tried to turn through the grass median separating the north and southbound lanes, two FHP vehicles attempted to follow. One vehicle hit the other, and both rolled over.
“Seeing something roll,” Anderson said. “You’re just praying he got a seatbelt on, and of course I didn’t even know there was a K-9 unit.”
Two K-9s went to a veterinarian and were treated, then released on Wednesday. Police said both troopers were seriously hurt and went to the hospital. While the injuries weren’t life threatening, one trooper is still in the hospital as of Thursday evening.
“Today I’m thinking, how many people did he pass by?” Anderson said. “Families, people just going home from work. That’s what bothers me.”
But as his video reveals, strangers pulled over to help the troopers and get them out of the cars.
“I was actually thinking about the two officers that were injured,” Anderson said. “I’d be scared to drive, at least for a while.”
Diaz was charged with fleeing and eluding, driving with a suspended license and several drug charges.
