HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — A 24-year-old man was arrested early Friday after a crash on Interstate 4 near Plant City involving a road ranger vehicle.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, Vladislav Viktor Sushchik was at fault in the 1:45 a.m. crash involving his Lexus and the Ford F-550 road ranger vehicle.
Troopers said the Lexus was traveling westbound and drove through a road closure posted due to an earlier crash on the highway. The Lexus struck the back of the road ranger vehicle.
What You Need To Know
- FHP: Drunk driver at fault in crash with road ranger vehicle on I-4 in Plant City
- Vladislav Viktor Sushchik charged with DUI and driving on a suspended license
- The crash comes days after AAA issued a report about the dangers emergency roadside workers face
Deputies at the scene said Sushchik briefly began walking away from the accident and had a heavy odor of alcohol. He was detained and taken to Lakeland Regional Hospital with minor injuries.
The road ranger, a 44-year-old Wimauma man, suffered minor injuries, but was not transported to a medical facility.
Sushchik was charged with driving under the influence and driving with a suspended license.
The crash comes days after AAA issued a report about the dangers emergency roadside workers face.
AAA Foundation researchers combed through diverse information sources and uncovered 123 roadside assistance providers killed by passing vehicles between 2015 and 2021.
“Let’s remember this study is about real people, not statistics,” said Jake Nelson, AAA’s traffic safety and advocacy director. “It’s a shared responsibility to solve this safety challenge. Roadside workers and all of us who drive by them have to take action to move towards zero traffic deaths.”