TAMPA, Fla. — Two adults and two children, a 4-month-old and 1-year-old, were seriously injured in a crash on I-75 after a tire blowout Thursday morning.
Florida Highway Patrol said Libis Juarez, 20 of Dover, was driving his 2002 Ford SUV in the southbound lanes of I-75 near Fletcher Avenue when a rear tire blew out causing him to lose control.
After going off the road, the SUV overturned several times in the median.
Juarez and his passenger, 34-year-old Marcela Pacheco, were partially ejected from the SUV, according to FHP. The two children, a 4-month-old and 1-year-old, were fully ejected.
FHP told ABC Action News the 4-month-old's rear-facing car seat was buckled into the car, but the child was not buckled into the seat. The 1-year-old child was in his car seat, but neither the seat nor the child were buckled in.
All four were transported to Tampa General Hospital with serious injuries.
Juarez was charged with driving without a valid driver's license, not wearing his seat belt and two child seat violations.
#Hillsborough - Van with a family of 4 traveling SB on I-75 @ MM266 suffers a blow out of a rear tire, travels into the median and overturns. Two children ejected despite having car seats in the vehicle. Injuries to all not life-threatening. #BuckleUp #ArriveAlive pic.twitter.com/H7rqResFM4
— FHP Tampa (@FHPTampa) December 13, 2018
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