Tampa Police Officer Killed In Wrong-Way Crash

MIAMI (CBSMiami/AP) - A Tampa police officer was killed in a collision with a wrong-way driver early Tuesday morning on Interstate 275 in Tampa, police said.

The wrong-way driver also died in the crash, Tampa police Chief Brian Dugan said during a news conference.

Dugan said police began getting calls just before 1 a.m. Tuesday about a speeding white sedan that was swerving and heading south in the northbound lanes of I-275 in Tampa. About a minute later, a caller said the car had collided with a marked patrol vehicle.

Jesse Madsen, 45, was a former U.S. Marine who had worked for the Tampa Police Department for 16 years, Dugan said. Madsen had received seven life-saving awards. The chief called Madsen a "dedicated husband'' and the father of three.

.@FLCaseyDeSantis and I are heartbroken by the death of @TampaPD Officer Jesse Madsen who was tragically killed in the line of duty. We extend our sincere condolences to his family, friends, and the Tampa law enforcement community.

— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) March 9, 2021

Dugan said Madsen is the 32nd Tampa officer to be killed in the line of duty.

The name of the 25-year-old driver has not yet been released. Investigators are trying to determine where he got y driver were both killed in the crash, according to police.

"This is a tragedy," Dugan said. "Our community has been rocked by these wrong-way drivers."

(© Copyright 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)