A pickup plowed into the Brorein Street Bridge guardrail and dropped into the Hillsborough River this morning, leaving two men wet but not seriously injured.
Dwayne Andre Duke Jr., 22, and his passenger, 30-year-old Zachary P. Zachariades, stood atop the 2003 Dodge Ram until rescuers plucked them from the water.
The two Tampa men suffered minor injuries and were transported by Tampa Fire Rescue boat to nearby Tampa General Hospital.
Stepps Towing worked with police divers to remove the pickup.
Duke was driving too fast when he tried to switch lanes and hit the brakes, police spokeswoman Andrea Davis said. Duke will be cited with careless driving.
The Dodge was westbound on Brorein when it hit the metal grating of the drawbridge and started to fishtail, said Wes Zweibel, a Tampa Tribune employee who was on his way to work just before 8:30 a.m. when he saw the crash.
The red and white truck swerved between lanes before crashing into the railing near the span's apex. It hung on the railing for a split second before plunging into the river on the north side of the bridge, Zweibel said.
"Probably one of those half seconds that seemed like forever to those guys," he said.
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