HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — The families of two people killed in a crash on I-275 northbound in July have filed wrongful death lawsuits that claim the driver who caused the crash was negligent, as well as his employer.
According to a crash report from the Florida Highway Patrol, a 53-year-old woman and a 39-year-old man were killed in the crash after another driver crashed into their sedan. FHP said the other driver was looking at his phone at the time and failed to notice the stopped traffic.
The lawsuits identify the victims as Daniel Whitfield, 39, and Tracy Carson, 53. The other driver involved is identified as Howard Hientzelmeier III, 51.
According to the lawsuits, Whitfield, Carson, and Hientzelmeier all lived in Pinellas County.
According to the lawsuit filed by Whitfield's widow, he was a passenger in the sedan, a 2019 Toyota Camry, which was being operated as an Uber vehicle. Carson was the driver.
The crash involved six vehicles in total and shut down the interstate for five hours. Whitfield and Carson were pronounced dead at the scene.
According to FHP, Hientzelmeier was driving a pick-up truck northbound on the I-275 exit ramp to the Veterans Expressway, where traffic was stopped. Troopers said he looked down at his phone, didn't notice the stopped traffic, and crashed into the Camry.
The Camry and the pick-up were propelled forward and crashed into four other vehicles.
According to the lawsuits, Hientzelmeier was working for his employer, Sunrun, at the time. The suits claim Sunrun authorized Hientzelmeier to drive the vehicle and say the company is liable for damages caused by the "negligent actions" of its employee.
The lawsuit on behalf of Carson, which was filed on August 4, said she left behind three children, aged 16, 24 and 27 at the time of the crash.
Carson's obituary said she had a love for the outdoors and said, "no adventure was out of reach for her." It went on to describe her as being "strong, smart, funny and kind" and said she did her best to pass on her positive outlook on life to others.
The lawsuit on behalf of Whitfield, which was filed on August 17, said he also left behind three children, aged 6, 3 and 11 months, at the time of the crash.
Whitfield's obituary said his life ambition was to become a published author. His first book, "Eagle Ascending" was published last year, the obituary said, and his second is due to be released next year.
According to his obituary, Whitefield could usually be found with "a smile on his face, drink in his hand, and a small child in his arms." According to the obituary, the youngest of his three daughters celebrated her first birthday less than two weeks ago, on August 24.
Both lawsuits are seeking damages in excess of $30,000.
