Hillsborough County, FL (October 10, 2020) - A construction worker was killed after being hit by a drunk driver along I-75 on Friday, October 9th. The crash took place around 4:00 a.m. in the northbound lanes of the highway near Ruskin.

According to reports, 29-year-old Jerome Forbes, Jr. was traveling on I-75 when he veered out of his lane and drifted into a lane that was closed due to road work. While in the closed lane, he collided with a 45-year-old construction worker who was standing in the roadway. The worker, who has not been identified, died at the crash scene. Forbes' vehicle continued about a quarter-mile past the crash scene before stopping in the median. Forbes then ran into the woods but was later apprehended by authorities.

Forbes, who was later determined to be impaired, faces several charges in connection with the crash, including DUI manslaughter, vehicular homicide, and leaving the scene of a crash.

In 2018, there were 814 fatalities reported due to drunk driving accidents in our state. This number represents about 30% of all reported fatalities due to traffic accidents. Drunk driving continues to cause major problems throughout Florida as motorists make irresponsible decisions to get behind the wheel of a vehicle, thus endangering their own lives as well as the lives of others.

We wish to offer our most sincere condolences to the victim's family following this tragic accident in Hillsborough County. 

Rubenstein Law is dedicated to serving individuals & families injured by the negligence of others. We know first-hand the heartbreak that can be left behind after an accident. In our news blog, we write about cases of personal injury relevant to our line of work, and we report on news of judgments and appellate cases that affect the rights of personal injury claimants. We feel a responsibility to raise awareness of the injury and tragic loss of life occurring across our state every day.

Note: These posts are created using publicly available (secondary) sources, information has not been independently verified. If you see any information that should be corrected, please bring it to our attention and we will make adjustments. The photos depicted in these posts are not representative of the actual accident scene.