Lehigh Acres man hospitalized after 3-vehicle crash on I-75 in Sarasota County

A Lehigh Acres man was hospitalized in critical condition after a three-vehicle crash Wednesday morning on I-75 in Sarasota County.

According to the Florida Highway Patrol, the 34-year-old man was driving a Honda Civic north in the left lane of I-75, east of River Road, around 9:45 a.m. A Mack tractor-trailer driven by a 31-year-old Cape Coral man was also traveling north in the center lane of I-75, and a Jeep driven by a 67-year-old woman was traveling north in the right lane of I-75.

The Honda was ahead of and adjacent to the other two vehicles. Its driver attempted to change lanes from left to center to right, directly in front of the tractor-trailer. As a result, the tractor-trailer rear-ended the Honda, which traveled off the roadway to the right, where it collided with a traffic sign and then several trees.

The Jeep was struck by debris from the Honda, which came to rest facing north on the right shoulder of the I-75 northbound exit ramp south of River Road, against a tree. FHP continues to investigate the crash.