A Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office deputy died after a crash with a semi-truck on U.S. Highway 301 in Thonotosassa, the agency said in a news release. During a news conference Thursday morning, Sheriff Chad Chronister identified the deputy as 40-year-old Darell Brown, a nearly 10-year veteran of the agency who worked at the Orient Road Jail with the booking unit. Chronister said Brown was on his way home to Pasco County after his shift at work and was driving along U.S. Highway 301 just south of McIntosh Road. Around 7:45 a.m. Thursday, for "unknown reasons," Chronister said Brown and the Ford F-150 he was driving drifted into oncoming traffic. As he did, the driver of a flatbed semi-truck was driving in the oncoming lane and "did everything he could" to stop in time to avoid hitting Brown. Unfortunately, the two vehicles collided. The force of the crash spun Brown's truck and pushed it about 100 yards down the road from the semi, which jackknifed off the road. The deputy was "instantly" killed, Chronister said. The semi-truck driver was also hurt, but suffered non-life-threatening injuries, FHP said. MORE: https://www.wtsp.com/article/traffic/us-301-deadly-crash-thonotosassa/67-b28b889d-3ce9-4a11-b27b-2884da90a545