A Riverview man was killed early Friday morning when he was involved in a wrong-way crash on I-275.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, Chase Kaleb Leveille, 25, was driving a 1993 red Honda Civic north in the center lane of southbound I-275 near Bearss Avenue at 2:35 a.m.
Troopers said Leveille was going the wrong way for three miles before hitting an Enterprise rental truck heading south in the center lane at the same time.
Investigators said the two vehicles collided head-on just north of Bearss Avenue. The vehicles skidded about 500 feet before coming to rest in the inside emergency and travel lanes.
Leveille died at the scene of the crash. Investigators said it appears as though Leveille was initially traveling southbound on I-275 near Busch Boulevard when, for unknown reasons, he made a U-turn on the interstate and began driving north until he collided with the truck.
The two people inside the rental truck sustained minor injuries.
“I feel blessed to be alive. I got lucky,” said Joe Smith, who was inside the truck.
Leveille’s mother said her son went out with friends prior to the crash.
“I told him have fun and enjoy himself. I told him I’d see him tomorrow,” said Jane Leveille.
She said she can only guess her son got confused. She said he would never try to hurt anyone on purpose.
“I don’t know what he was doing. I know he went with his friends last night. And… I don’t know what happened, I don’t,” she said.
All lanes of I-275 were closed until 5:30 a.m., when the northbound lanes were re-opened. The southbound lanes were re-opened at 6:30 a.m.
This wrong-way crash was on the same stretch of road where five people lost their lives in a similar head on collision this month.
Troopers also haven’t figured out why the driver in that case went the wrong way. The crash killed four USF students, and the wrong-way driver.