At first, it appeared to the Florida Highway Patrol that a deadly collision between a semi truck and a car on Interstate 75 was caused by heavy fog. But authorities are now saying that the truck accident, which killed a 42-year-old man, probably took place in clear weather conditions.The true cause of the incident is under investigation. But the Tampa Bay Times looked into the truck driver's record, and discovered that he has had 27 traffic violations over the past 10 years. The man, 30, has also had his driver's license suspended six times, though his commercial license is currently valid. Troopers said that the accident happened a little after 2:30 a.m. on I-75. The truck caught up to a car that was driving more slowly. When the truck driver tried to pass, he clipped the car and turned over. The car went off the road and fell into the Alafia River. The driver, 42, was killed.Among the truck driver's traffic violations include speeding and driving with a suspended license. However, only two of the infractions are on his commercial license. A spokesman from the Florida Department of Motor Vehicles said that prior driving history does not disqualify a person from obtaining a license to drive a semi truck.It may be some time before we know who was at fault in this terrible accident. If the truck driver is found to have caused it, both he and his employer could be held financially liable for the other driver's death. Tampa Bay Times, "Truck driver in fatal Alafia River wreck has dozens of driving infractions," Colleen Wright and Claire Wiseman, Feb. 12, 2014
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