Florida man dies in car crash with 11-foot alligator
(John Hopkins, Image credit: Patricia Roberts per WFLA)
Yesterday, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) announced that a man died in a car crash on County Road 672 in Lithia, Florida. The fatal accident occurred around 12:30 a.m. on March 24 when 59-year-old John Hopkins was driving eastbound on 672, about two miles west of County Road 39.
According to the Sheriff’s Office, the front wheels of Hopkins’ vehicle struck an 11-foot alligator, which was in the roadway.
The vehicle veered off the road and overturned into a ditch on the north side of the road. A motorist passing by in the area noticed the car in the ditch and called 911. ~ HCSO
Detectives responded to the crash location where Hopkins was pronounced dead at the scene. The alligator also died as a result of the crash.
WFLA reported Hopkins’ family as saying that Hopkins was driving home from work when the accident occurred. He had recently started a new job. The accident went down less than a mile from the Lithia home Hopkins shared with his mom and brother.
“He will be missed by the whole family,” sister Jane Pyzynski said. “He loved his family and we loved him.” The family has lived in the area for decades and said they’ve never heard of a crash involving an alligator.
HCSO reports that their investigation into the accident is still ongoing.
For more on the fatal crash between driver John Hopkins and the Florida alligator, see the video accompanying g this article.
~ Posted by Richard Webster, Ace News Today / Connect with Richard on Facebook and Twitter
