THONOTOSASSA, FL – A 40-year-old man, identified as Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office deputy, passed away in a collision involving a semi-truck Thursday.
HCSO told WFLA that the crash happened when the deputy, Darell Brown, had gone in front of a flatbed semi-truck on U.S. 40, leading the two vehicles to come into contact. The semi-driver, who was not identified, even tried to press on their brakes to avoid striking Brown’s Ford F-150 pickup truck. The semi-motorist could not stop, prompting the truck to jackknife in the process and sustaining significant front-end damage, and Brown’s pickup came to rest 100 yards away from the big rig.
Deputies said Brown was coming from his job at the Orient Road Jail, on his way home in Pasco County, prior to the collision. They said Brown perished at the collision site, while the semi-driver (who did not flee the scene) was able to walk away without a scratch.