Woman injured after jumping from overpass onto I-75

TAMPA -- A woman was rescued by an off-duty firefighter this morning after she jumped from an overpass to the outside lane of northbound Interstate 75, Hillsborough County sheriff's officials said.

The woman, whose name was not released and who was thought to be in her mid 40s, jumped from Causeway Boulevard about 6:43 a.m., authorities said -- not the Lee Roy Selmon Crosstown Expressway, as they reported earlier. She was not hit by any vehicles on I-75, and motorists reportedly helped move her out of traffic.

She reportedly had fractures in her ankles, pelvis and back from the fall, estimated by sheriff's spokesman J.D. Callaway to be 40 to 50 feet. She was taken to Tampa General Hospital in serious condition, but her injuries are not considered life-threatening, officials said.

Dispatchers said an off-duty firefighter witnessed the incident and was among the first to summon help. A department spokesperson said the woman "made statements about having mental issues and taking medication."

An investigation is under way.

Casey Cora, Times staff writer