ORLANDO, Fla. — A Florida man died after the car he was driving struck an 11-foot alligator Thursday, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.
The vehicle was traveling east on County Road 672 near County Road 39 in Lithia around 12:30 a.m. when it struck the alligator that was on the roadway. The driver drifted off the the road and overturned into a ditch, the sheriff's office said.
The driver, who was identified as John Hopkins, 59, was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the report.
The alligator also died in the accident, the report said.
A motorist traveling near the area noticed the car in the ditch and called 911, the sheriff's office said.
Authorities are continuing their investigation into the incident.
