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Officer Involved in Morning Collision with Tractor Trailor Released

A police car and a U.S. Postal Service tractor-trailer collided at North 50th Street and the Interstate 4 off-ramp about 2:30 a.m. Friday. [Tampa Bay Police Department]

TAMPA – A Tampa police officer whose patrol car collided with a tractor-trailer early this morning has been released from the hospital.

Officer Craig Cimaszewski had minor injuries after crashing into the U.S. Postal Service tractor trailer about 2:30 a.m. at North 50th Street and Interstate 4, Tampa police spokeswoman Andrea Davis said.

Cimaszewski, a 16-year veteran of the force, was released from Tampa General Hospital at 5 a.m. His police dog Lincoln was checked by veterinarians and was not hurt, Davis said.

The driver of the tractor trailer, George Stergion, 45, of Land O’ Lakes, is listed in stable condition at Tampa General Hospital, police said.

Investigators give this account of how the crash occurred:

Cimaszewski and his dog were headed north on North 50th Street in their marked police car with the lights and siren activated, responding to another officer’s request for backup.

Cimaszewski had been on his way to help police Officer Bradley Grange, who requested backup as he conducted a traffic stop at North 50th Street and U.S. 41.

The stopped driver had several warrants for his arrest and cocaine in his vehicle and was violently resisting arrest, Sawicki said. That driver, Venarda Poisettia, 49, of 7918 Endive Ave., was taken into custody.

Cimaszewski’s car collided with the U.S. Postal Worker’s vehicle when the tractor-trailer was turning south onto North 50th Street from the I-4 westbound exit ramp. It appears that Stergion failed to yield to the emergency vehicle because a wall prevented him from seeing the Cimaszewski approaching the intersection.

The investigation is ongoing.