Tampa Bay Injury Attorney Blog
ST. PETERSBURG, FL – A Toyota Camry driver declined to pull over for a Florida Highway Patrol trooper and fled the scene, leading to a multi-auto crash that injured six people and claimed one life.
The events unfolded before 3 a.m. Saturday, when for reasons unclear, the Toyota Camry had drifted across several lanes on U.S. 19 South near Seville Boulevard, IONTB.com reports. The trooper saw what occurred, prompting their curiosity regarding why that happened. So when they went to inquire, the Camry driver continued driving away, which began the pursuit.
The chase ended when the Camry struck a Toyota Tundra and a box truck waiting at the 34th Street North and 38th Avenue intersection after attempting to avoid hitting a turning big rig coming from eastbound 38th and entering 34th.
After first responders arrived at the scene, they took all four Camry occupants and, the box truck driver, and Toyota Tundra motorist, and the Tundra passenger to a hospital. There, one of the Camry passengers passed away from fatal wounds, while the surviving passengers were set to receive treatment for non-life-threatening wounds.
Florida Highway Patrol has not confirmed the age and gender of the person who passed away but certified that the Camry individuals who made it out alive are between ages 18 and 20. They are working to pinpoint who was behind the wheel.
FHP does not publicly release the names of people involved in crashes but did certify that the Tundra was driven by a 46-year-old man from St. Petersburg, who was accompanied by a 73-year-old adult, whose gender was not specified, and indicated that the box truck was operated by a 33-year-old man from Davenport.
As it stands, no criminal charges have been sought.
Whether you were injured in a collision or lost a family member to a car accident caused by a reckless driver, you should not have to bear the brunt of mounting medical expenses, lost income, and in cases of death, funeral and burial expenses, because of the other party’s unwise decisions. When you select Whittel & Melton LLC for legal representation, you can guarantee that our St. Petersburg car accident lawyer will go the extra mile to see to it that the other party is held accountable for their poor choices and fight for your right to a compensation package that will put an end to those economic woes and provide financial stability going forward. Don’t wait. Schedule a free, no-risk consultation by calling our office at 866-608-5529 or reaching out online.