Man dies when vehicle flips after hitting 11-foot alligator that was in Florida roadway at night

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Florida authorities say that a man there has tragically died after he hit an 11-foot alligator that was in the roadway at night near a state park just outside of Tampa. The accident occurred just outside of Alafia State Park. They say John Hopkins, 59, hit the alligator at around 12:30 a.m. Thursday. They say that caused him to veer to the left and leave the roadway before overturning in a ditch.

He was pronounced dead at the scene, according to reports.

While it may be uncommon to hear of a fatal vehicle vs. alligator accident, it has happened before. In 2018, a mother and her two children were killed on I-95 in South Carolina after their car struck a large alligator, left the road and then caught fire.

Per the report, Florida has an alligator population that is estimated at around 1.3 million, with the large reptiles located in all the state’s counties.

https://www.pennlive.com/news/2022/03/man-dies-when-vehicle-flips-after-hitting-11-foot-alligator-that-was-in-florida-roadway-at-night-reports.html