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Trooper injured when truck crashes into patrol car on the shoulder of I-75

Trooper hit on Alligator Alley 1.jpg
Trooper hit on Alligator Alley 2.jpg
Posted at 10:12 AM, Jul 01, 2019
and last updated 2019-07-01 13:22:53-04

COLLIER COUNTY, Fla. -- A Florida Highway Patrol trooper was taken to the hospital Monday morning after a collision in the emergency lane of Alligator Alley.

According to FHP, the trooper was stopped on the paved shoulder of the westbound lanes of Alligator Alley near mile marker 98 around 8:44 am.

That's when a flatbed tow truck veered off the roadway and side-swiped the left side of the patrol car before continuing on to hit a guardrail.

The crash remains under investigation.

UPDATE (1:15PM) -- Troopers have identified the tow truck's driver as 26-year-old Duante Bell of Miami. He admitted that he fell asleep behind the wheel before the crash.

Trooper Gualberto Morales sustained minor injuries in the crash.