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Pickup truck drives off U.S. 1 into Florida Keys channel, MCSO says

A tow truck pulls a Chevrolet pickup truck from the Harris Gap Channel on Lower Sugarloaf Key on Saturday, July 4, 2026.
A tow truck pulls a Chevrolet pickup truck from the Harris Gap Channel on Lower Sugarloaf Key on Saturday, July 4, 2026. Monroe County Sheriff’s Office

The driver of a pickup truck veered off the Overseas Highway and into the water in the Florida Keys on Saturday morning, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office said.

The truck went off the road on U.S. 1 about 100 to 150 feet into Harris Gap Channel at mile marker 17.5 on Lower Sugarloaf Key around 11 a.m., the sheriff’s office said.

A Chevrolet pickup truck sinks in the Harris Gap Channel in the Florida Keys on Saturday, July 4, 2026.
A Chevrolet pickup truck sinks in the Harris Gap Channel in the Florida Keys on Saturday, July 4, 2026. Monroe County Sheriff’s Office

Three people were in the silver Chevrolet truck, and all managed to escape with minor cuts and scrapes, the sheriff’s office said.

A tow truck pulled the Chevy from the channel later in the day, according to a photograph provided by the sheriff’s office.

Officials believe the driver may have fallen asleep. The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating the crash.

This story was originally published July 4, 2026 at 3:54 PM with the headline "Pickup truck drives off U.S. 1 into Florida Keys channel, MCSO says."

David Goodhue
Miami Herald
David Goodhue covers the Florida Keys and South Florida for FLKeysNews.com and the Miami Herald. Before joining the Herald, he covered Congress, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy in Washington, D.C. He is a graduate of the University of Delaware.