A 200-foot-tall Tampa Bay crossing where 35 people died when the original span collapsed after a freighter strike in 1980, now haunted by legend of a vanishing female hitchhiker and phantom Greyhound bus passengers.
I-275 at Sunshine Skyway, St. Petersburg, FL 33711
Research updated June 2026
Age
All Ages
Cost
$
Toll required to cross ($14 for most passenger vehicles); fishing piers accessible at base ($4 entry)
Access
Wheelchair OK
Paved roadway crossing; fishing pier at base is paved and flat
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1987 · Site of the May 9, 1980 MV Summit Venture disaster — 35 deaths · Led to national bridge-safety reform standards post-1980 · Original span piers preserved as Skyway Fishing Pier State Park · Highest bridge in Florida at 190-foot channel clearance
The Sunshine Skyway Bridge spans 4 miles across Tampa Bay, connecting St. Petersburg on the north shore to Terra Ceia and Manatee County to the south. The original two-lane bridge opened in September 1954 as part of U.S. Highway 19, rising to 150 feet above the water at its highest point. A parallel span doubled capacity by 1971.
The most catastrophic event in the bridge's history occurred on the morning of May 9, 1980. The freighter MV Summit Venture, under the command of Captain John Lerro, was navigating Tampa Bay in a severe squall with wind gusts of 60 mph and near-zero visibility from driving rain. Unable to see navigational markers, Lerro misjudged his position and struck a main support pier near the bridge's center at 7:34 a.m. The collision sheared away 1,297 feet of bridge deck and superstructure, sending it plunging 150 feet into the bay.
Seven vehicles fell into the water: a Ford Pickup, a Buick, a Dodge van, a Jeep, a Triumph motorcycle, a Chevrolet, and a Greyhound bus with 26 people aboard — all 26 of whom died. Total deaths numbered 35. The sole survivor from the vehicles on the collapsed section was Wesley MacIntire, whose truck bounced off the hull of the Summit Venture before sinking; he was rescued by the ship's crew. Captain Lerro, who survived and was cleared of wrongdoing by both a state grand jury and a Coast Guard investigation, resumed his duties as a marine pilot before being forced to retire by the onset of multiple sclerosis; he died of complications from the disease on August 31, 2002. The NTSB attributed the accident to the vessel's unexpected encounter with severe weather and the failure to abort transit when visual and radar references were lost.
The National Transportation Safety Board investigation led to sweeping bridge-safety reforms nationally. The current Sunshine Skyway—a cable-stay bridge with a clearance of 190 feet—opened on April 20, 1987. Its concrete support 'dolphins' and widened navigation channel were designed to prevent a repeat collision. The retired piers of the original bridge were converted to the Skyway Fishing Pier State Park, now among Florida's most-visited state parks.
The bridge has also become one of Florida's most notorious suicide sites, with crisis counselors and phones installed at regular intervals. The bridge's height and accessibility have contributed to a tragic ongoing history unrelated to the 1980 disaster.
Sources
The Sunshine Skyway's most enduring paranormal legend centers on a spectral hitchhiker who appears on the bridge's approach, typically around midnight. Multiple independent sources — including Bay News 9, The Bradenton Times, Tampa Terrors ghost tour, and Nightly Spirits — document variations of this account.
According to the most common version, a young blonde woman appears on the bridge, sometimes dripping wet and sometimes dry, dressed in jeans and a T-shirt. Drivers who stop to give her a ride find her seemingly solid and real; she may ask 'Do you believe in God?' or simply ride in silence. As the vehicle approaches the top of the bridge or reaches the opposite shore, the woman becomes increasingly distressed before vanishing from the seat. A widely-shared account involves a semi-truck driver who reportedly told his story to a local newspaper: he picked up the woman on the bridge, she asked to be dropped off on the far side, and she had vanished before he arrived. Locals generally believe the hitchhiker is the spirit of a suicide victim from among the bridge's many jumpers.
The original Shadowlands description includes a second variant — a man who climbs into cars at the foot of the bridge and disappears when the driver reaches the other side — though this male figure variant is less widely attested and may reflect an early, conflated version of the legend. Regional authorities on the legend (Bay News 9, 2022) confirm the female figure is the primary documented account.
A secondary legend involves phantom Greyhound bus passengers: fishermen on the old bridge piers have reportedly seen an old-model Greyhound drive by on the original span (which no longer exists), its passengers staring blankly forward, except for one woman who smiles and waves. This account echoes directly from the 26-person loss aboard the bus in the 1980 disaster.
Note: The bridge remains an active suicide site. If you or someone you know is in crisis, contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988.
Notable Entities
Media Appearances
Drive across the 4-mile span of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge at 200-foot elevation above Tampa Bay — the same approach where the May 1980 disaster occurred. The old fishing piers at the base mark where the collapsed span once stood.
Walk the 4.1-mile stretch of the original collapsed bridge deck that now serves as the world's longest fishing pier. The stumps of the original supports are visible in the water.
Every HauntBound history is researched from documented sources. We clearly separate verified historical fact from paranormal folklore.
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