Dashcam Footage Shows Truck Driver on Phone Before Driving off Florida Overpass

The Florida Highway Patrol says a man received a ticket after a dashcam in his truck showed him using a cellphone just before the semitrailer he was driving plunged off an Interstate 75 overpass near Tampa.

Authorities say 49-year-old Samuel R. Colon Jr. was seriously injured Jan. 4. According to troopers, when another vehicle changed lanes in front of him, Colon swerved and the rig hit a barrier wall, overturned and fell onto the road below.

Troopers issued a citation Tuesday for using a cellphone while operating a commercial motor vehicle. A first offense comes with a $500 fine.

The patrol’s report says the dashboard video in the truck shows Colon steering with one hand while tapping the cellphone with the other. He quickly grabbed the wheel and swerved as soon as he looked back at the road.