Pedestrian Killed In Accident On I-75

By Matt Wiley | May 23

Details have emerged about the May 23 accident that killed a pedestrian standing next to her broken down car on I-75.

According to the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP), 22-year-old Kerry Ruiz, of Tampa, was killed when she was struck by an Isuzu truck towing a 29-foot boat, driven by Sarmad Joseph Jamil, 36, of Gilbert, AZ, who was traveling north on I-75 near mile marker 282, three miles north of S.R. 54, at 3:25 p.m.

The report says that, for unknown reasons, Ruiz, who was standing on the east shoulder of the interstate next to her car, which had its emergency flashers on, ran out in front of Jamil’s truck. Jamil was unable to avoid hitting Ruiz and his truck struck the pedestrian and then ran into the right side of a 2009 Acura RSX being driven by 26-year-old Ashley Fields of Largo. The Acura spun off the northwest side of I-75 before coming to rest.

Ruiz died at the scene and northbound I-75 was closed at S.R. 54 for about three hours. No other injuries were reported and no further information was available at our press time. The crash is still under investigation.