A 24-year-old Florida Department of Transportation Road Ranger was fatally struck while setting up a lane closure on Interstate 75 in Pasco County. The incident occurred around 8:28 p.m. on July 12, 2026, near SR-56 following an earlier two-vehicle crash that required traffic control assistance from the FDOT Road Rangers. As the workers were establishing a lane closure, an Acura MDX drove between the two Road Ranger vehicles and struck one of the workers who was on foot placing the closure. The victim suffered fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene. Troopers identified the driver of the Acura as Darren Christopher Jenkins, 40, of Bradenton. Following the investigation, Jenkins was arrested and charged with DUI Manslaughter after providing a breath sample that measured 0.334, more than four times Florida’s legal limit of 0.08. Jenkins was transported to the Pasco County Jail where he remains in custody while the crash remains under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol.
FDOT Road Ranger Killed While Setting Up Lane Closure on I-75 in Pasco County
