A 72-year-old woman died early Thursday morning when the car she was riding in hit the back of a tractor-trailer on Interstate 10 and then ricocheted into a sign pole, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

Troopers said the car, driven by a 72-year-old man, was stopped on the right outside shoulder of I-10 eastbound, west of Hammond Boulevard, around 2 a.m. Thursday.

According to the crash report, when the driver tried to merge into the outside lane, he hit the back left of a semi with the front right of the car, which was then propelled into a DOT traffic sign support pole.

The 47-year-old semi driver from Lakeland was not hurt, and the driver of the car suffered minor injuries, troopers said.

Everyone involved was wearing a seat belt, the report shows.

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