Manatee County

March 19, 2025

News: Pilot, passenger hurt in Palmetto plane crash

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

PALMETTO, FL – A 70-year-old male pilot and his passenger, an 86-year-old man, were left with non-life-threatening injuries after their plane crashed into an unoccupied truck Tuesday.

My Sun Coast said the men were in the process of departing Airport Manatee when heavy winds caused their Aeronca Champion plane to descend from the sky and strike a powerline prior to making contact with the other vehicle.

The passenger, Allen Maxwell, was sitting behind the pilot and was able to get out of the plane on his own.

February 25, 2025

News: Woman, 85, fatally hit by car in Bradenton

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

BRADENTON, FL – An 85-year-old woman with dementia lost her life after she was struck by a Hyundai Sonata in a Bradenton neighborhood Friday.

The incident unfolded around 5:30 a.m. at the intersection of Woodlawn Drive and Wildwood Springs Boulevard, according to the Bradenton Herald. After the woman was hit, she perished at the scene. Florida Highway Patrol said that prior to the lady getting hit, she collapsed in front of her home. Troopers confirmed the woman had suffered from dementia and was prone to falling regularly.

The female driver, 60 and local to the area, stayed at the scene and said she did not see the victim and was unable to avoid hitting her. Authorities anticipate that she will not face criminal charges.

February 18, 2025

News: Motorcyclist killed, truck driver injured in Myakka City wreck

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

MYAKKA CITY, FL – A motorcyclist lost his life, and a pickup truck driver sustained minor wounds following a crash on State Road 70 last Thursday, Feb 13.

The Herald-Tribune said the events unraveled before 7 a.m. when the motorcyclist, 25, tried to pass some vehicles in front of him while coming onto eastbound State Road 70. As he was merging, that’s when he struck the Chevy Silverado towing a trailer.

Authorities said the truck driver was trying to turn left into RV Guru, LLC when the motorcyclist hit the trailer. The impact had thrown the motorcyclist from his bike, and he perished at the scene.

January 28, 2025

News: Man, 77, loses life after sedan vs. semi crash in Bradenton

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

BRADENTON, FL – A 77-year-old driving a sedan passed away after he crashed into a semi-truck head-on at the SR 70 and I-75 connector Saturday.

The events unfolded after 9:30 a.m. when the man drifted off eastbound SR-70 and went into the semi-truck driver’s lane, MySunCoast said. Florida Highway Patrol said both drivers were approaching the I-95 South off-ramp when they collided.

The crash’s impact claimed the life of the elderly man and left his passenger in critical condition.

January 22, 2025

News: 1 dead, 1 hospitalized following Ellenton left-turn wreck

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

ELLENTON, FL – A 78-year-old man passed away, and a 23-year-old man was taken to HCA Florida Blake Hospital following a left-turn collision Monday.

Bradenton Herald said the events unfolded before 6:45 a.m. when the elderly man tried to turn left from Colony Drive South onto U.S. 301 South and crashed his pickup truck into a Hyundai Sonata. Once the vehicles collided, the car was thrust into a grassy shoulder and the truck into a paved shoulder. Florida Highway Patrol said the pickup truck driver was traveling south and the car driver north at the time of the wreck.

Troopers confirmed the 78-year-old man, an Ellenton local, did not wear a seatbelt but did not specify if the 23-year-old man, also from the area, wore a seatbelt as well. Nonetheless, the elderly man perished at the scene, and EMS crews took the surviving driver to the hospital.

December 17, 2024

News: SUV vs. pickup truck wreck in Myakka City claims 2 lives

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

MYAKKA CITY, FL – An SUV driver drifted off SR-70 West into the eastbound lanes, causing them to collide head-on with a pickup truck, claiming the lives of two people Sunday.

This collision occurred before 8 p.m. along Betts Road, according to MySunCoast. Once the vehicles collided, the SUV passenger and pickup truck driver perished at the crash site.

Upon arrival, emergency crews hurried the SUV driver to a hospital for treatment of serious wounds. It is unclear if the second SUV passenger, who survived, was hospitalized, but they were left with minor wounds.

November 12, 2024

News: Collision with 3 vehicles claims life of male pedestrian in Bradenton

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

BRADENTON, FL – A 49-year-old man passed away when tried to cross the S.R. 70 lanes west of Manasota Memorial Park and was struck by three vehicles in Oneco Sunday.

Bradenton Herald said the man, a Bradenton local, was first hit by an SUV driven by a 25-year-old woman, a Manatee County resident. Once the pedestrian was hit, two other vehicles — a sedan and a second SUV — hit him.

On a related note, on Friday, there was also another pedestrian collision that happened in the Oneco area, also near Manasota Memorial Park, although this crash occurred south of the park and involved a male pedestrian getting hit by a semi-truck.

November 8, 2024

News: Male pedestrian fatally struck by semi in Bradenton

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

BRADENTON, FL – A male pedestrian was transported via an ambulance to HCA Florida Blake Hospital, where he passed away after getting hit by a semi-truck Friday.

Florida Highway Patrol told the Bradenton Herald this crash happened before 3 a.m. in the 5500 block of 15th St. E, which is south of Manasota Memorial Park. The semi-truck driver did remain at the scene and troopers said no criminal charges were filed against the motorist.

In the state of Florida, FHP does not publicly announce the names of victims who lost their lives in motor vehicle collisions or other related incidents. However, they do generally state victims’ ages, genders, and places of residence. Still, at this time, FHP has not stated the man’s age and place of residency.

November 4, 2024

News: Red light runner wreck in Bradenton ends in arrest, death

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

BRADENTON, FL – A 25-year-old man driving a Nissan Altima while allegedly impaired ran a red light and then hit another vehicle, ending in his arrest and a woman’s death Saturday.

At around 10:40 p.m., the DUI driver, identified as Cesar Navarrete, struck the second vehicle, a Chevrolet Equinox, turning onto northbound 43rd Street West from Cortez Road, according to ABC Action News.

The Chevrolet driver, a 36-year-old man, sustained non-life-threatening wounds, while an ambulance driver took the Chevrolet passenger, a 37-year-old woman, identified as Sara Holmes, to a trauma center, where she succumbed to deadly wounds.

October 30, 2024

News: Driver’s, passengers’ lives claimed in fiery Manatee Co. crash

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

MANATEE COUNTY, FL – Two passengers and a pickup truck driver died when they crashed their vehicle into a pole, causing the truck to catch fire Wednesday.

This solo collision occurred after 3:15 a.m. at the I-275 South off-ramp leading to I-75 South, Fox 13 News reports. Florida Highway Patrol declared the occupants deceased at the scene and is working to determine the contributing factors behind this wreck.

Traffic was at a standstill temporarily as authorities pursued their investigation and as crews cleared crash debris.