Off-duty deputy killed in accident on US 301

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. – An off-duty Hillsborough County Sheriff’s deputy died Thursday morning in a collision with a tractor-trailer on U.S. 301.

According to the Florida Highway Patrol, the officer was traveling in his F-150 and collided with the semi-trailer south of McIntosh Road.

Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said Deputy Derell Brown, 40, was likely killed immediately after the collision.

According to Sheriff Chronister, Deputy Brown was returning from his shift at the Orient Road Jail when he crossed into the other lane of traffic and into the path of the semi-truck.

“For some reason we don't yet know, he ended up driving into the oncoming lane of a semi-truck. The driver slammed on the brakes and tried everything to avoid the collision, but he was unsuccessful,” Sheriff Chronister said.

“The force of the truck hitting the deputy's personal vehicle, almost head-on, sent him spinning,” Chronister said. “His (the deputy's) vehicle came to a stop nearly 100 yards north of where the semi-truck came to a stop.”

According to FHP, the 32-year-old driver of the semi-trailer suffered no injuries.

All lanes of US 301 reopened around 5 p.m. Thursday after being closed for more than eight hours.

Fellow officer Domingo Gonzalez knew Deputy Brown as a member of the Hillsborough Sheriff's Office Honor Guard. He said Deputy Brown had a heart of gold and a personality that lit up a room.

Domingo Gonzalez

“He was passionate about his faith and his profession and helping those he cared for in prison. He enjoyed playing kickball with his coworkers and thought he was Michael Jordan on the basketball court. But his first and most important love was his children and he loved to brag about them,” Gonzalez said in a text message to ABC Action News.

Sheriff Chronister said Deputy Brown is married and has a blended family with five children ranging in age from 5 to 20.

He had worked for the sheriff's office for nearly a decade.