Man Killed By Helicopter's Rotor In Crash Near Tampa

TAMPA (CBSMiami/AP) — A man in a truck was killed when a helicopter made an emergency landing in Palm River.

The Florida Highway Patrol said a 72-year-old man was killed when the rotor of a helicopter struck his truck as the pilot attempted an emergency landing on a busy highway.

The chopper hit a pole on the way down.

Deodat Persaud Gangsapersaud was in the truck being driven by his 35-year-old son Ryan Anthony Persaud when the rotor struck the vehicle. His son wasn't injured but was taken to the hospital as a precaution.

Troopers say 38-year-old pilot Bryan Messick and 21-year-old co-pilot Joshua Wells weren't injured.

Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister says Messick was "highly trained" and that the helicopter had just been serviced.

The National Transportation Safety Board will investigate.

(© Copyright 2019 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)