Commuters in the Tampa Bay area were witnesses to a fiery crash involving an SUV and a blue Corvette C6. The accident, shut down one of the three major bridges that separate Tampa Bay and St. Petersburg, causing a massive traffic backup that lasted for hours. According to Bay News 9, the blue C6 rear-ended the SUV on the Howard Franklin Bridge of Interstate 275.

The good news is both drivers made it out of their vehicles safely, according to the Tampa Bay Times. Both vehicles burned extensively and the smoke was visible for miles. By the time firefighters put out the fire, there was not much left of the once blue C6.

According to the Florida Highway Patrol, the Corvette was traveling northbound on Interstate 275 when it hit the SUV. The reason for the crash has not been determined, but we would not be surprised if speeding was a contributing factor. Even though vehicles nowadays are built under stricter safety standards, any crash that causes a rupture of the fuel system can potentially ignite a fire.

Putting two and two together, it is obvious that the low-to-the-ground Corvette front-end crashing into the rear of the SUV may have ruptured the fuel tank or part of the fuel evaporation system, causing the fuel vapors to ignite.

At Corvette Online, we understand the thrill of driving our Corvettes, but remember to enjoy the thrill of the ride safely. After all, who wants to see a beautiful C6 burnt to the ground? Thankfully, in this case, there were no lives lost.