FLORIDA — A 6-year-old girl has died following a crash involving a Temple Terrace police officer in Tampa, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
Troopers said the crash occurred shortly before 4 p.m. Wednesday on East Fowler Avenue. Investigators reported that a 36-year-old Tampa woman was driving a Nissan Pathfinder eastbound with three children — ages 1, 6 and 8 — in the vehicle.
At the same time, a 25-year-old Temple Terrace police officer was driving a marked Ford Explorer westbound.
Authorities said the woman attempted a U-turn at an intersection and entered the path of the police vehicle, causing the two SUVs to collide. The impact caused both vehicles to rotate into a ditch.
All five people involved were transported to a hospital with injuries.
Officials said the 6-year-old girl later died from her injuries. The driver, the officer and the two other children sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
In a statement, the Temple Terrace Police Department expressed condolences to the child’s family, calling the incident a tragedy.
The Florida Highway Patrol is continuing to investigate the crash.
