A helicopter that suffered an engine failure made a hard landing on a road near Tampa on Thursday, killing a passenger inside a vehicle, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
The crash happened at around 2:20 p.m. on Palm River Road and 50th Street in Hillsborough County.
A truck traveling northbound on 50th Street was struck by one of the helicopter's turning rotor blades, killing a passenger inside, FHP said.
Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said in a news conference the pilots took the helicopter in for service, where they made sure everything was functioning properly before they flew to Sarasota.
