BY DAN HILDEBRAN
A 24-year-old Hampton man was killed in a predawn collision Wednesday when his sedan struck the rear of a tractor-trailer near Sampson city in Bradford County, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
The crash occurred at approximately 5:02 a.m. near the intersection of Southwest County Road 227 and Southwest 70th Avenue, south of Starke. Troopers reported that the semi-truck, driven by a 42-year-old man from St. Augustine, was turning right onto the eastbound lane Southwest County Rd. 227 from a private logging road driveway. The sedan, traveling eastbound, slammed into the back of the trailer, causing the vehicle to catch fire and leading to a temporary road closure in the area.
The sedan’s driver, who was wearing a seat belt, suffered fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene. The truck driver was uninjured and is cooperating with investigators.
