A construction worker was hit and killed overnight on one of Tampa's busiest roads.
Florida Highway Patrol says 20-year-old Ruben Garcia was behind the wheel of a dump truck on the Veteran's Expressway on the overpass at Hillsborough Avenue.
Garcia put the truck in reverse and backed up, hitting 26-year-old Kimbrough W. Haines III. Charges against Garcia are pending.
Haines, who was from Asheville, North Carolina, died at the scene. Christa Deason, a spokeswoman with the Florida Department of Transportation, says Haines is the first construction worker killed on the veterans.
In a release, Haine's employer, Lane Construction, said “Our hearts and thoughts are with the family at this very difficult time.” The company is conducting an independent investigation.
Lane Construction, based in Connecticut, said Haines was employed with them for a couple of years as an engineer.
The northbound lanes were shut down for a short time while troopers investigated the crash.
Construction crews typically work overnight on the Veterans Expressway from 11pm to 6am. Right now the majority of the work is happening between Linebaugh Avenue and Memorial Highway.
The construction is part of a $386 million improvement project that widens 11 miles of the Veterans Expressway in Hillsborough County, providing much needed congestion relief to this regionally significant corridor.
