Man dies on Florida interstate after falling through hole in RV

A man died on a Florida interstate highway Sunday after he fell through a hole that opened in the cabin of a recreational vehicle when it hit a guardrail, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

Keith Hertik, 52, of Bay Shore, New York, was a passenger in a 1994 Ford RV driven by Joseph Rapoza, 31, of Bradenton, Florida, the Tampa Bay Times reported.

Troopers said that Rapoza lost control of the vehicle on I-75 in Sumter County, located northeast of Tampa, and hit a guard rail on the left side of the road. The impact opened a hole behind the driver’s seat, the Times reported.

Hertik, who was sitting behind Rapoza, fell through the hole while the vehicle was still moving, troopers said. He was taken to a hospital and was pronounced dead at Ocala Regional Medical Center, the Times reported.

Rapoza was not injured and alcohol was not a factor in the crash, troopers said.

Cox Media Group