Manatee County

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.

October 21, 2024

News: Helene, Milton cause $884 million in damages in Sarasota, Manatee Counties

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

SARASOTA AND MANATEE COUNTY, FL – Sarasota and Manatee County officials estimate that Hurricane Helene and Milton caused around $884 million in structural damages.

Sarasota County authorities told the Herald-Turbine they speculate that the aftermath of Helene led to $337.7 million in damages, with Milton racking up $306 million in damages, tallying up a total of nearly $634 million. Manatee County officials said they believe that damages from Milton resulted in over $250 million but did not specify if that included Helene as well. The only cities within Manatee County that don’t currently have damage report numbers are Bradenton, Palmetto, and the three cities on Anna Maria Island: Anna Maria, Bradenton Beach, and Holmes Beach.

Both counties, however, are not off the hook yet. All counties in the state of Florida, which include Manatee and Sarasota counties, are expected to see “between $17 billion and $28 billion” in wind and flood losses from Milton, and uninsured property losses are anticipated to only increase “between $21 billion and $34 billion,” according to data from CoreLogic.

October 15, 2024

News: Over $146 million needed to restore Manatee Co. after Milton

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

MANATEE COUNTY, FL – It’s going to take a significant amount of time and money, specifically over $146 million, to restore properties that have taken a hit from Hurricane Milton.

County authorities told MySunCoast News that commercial property damages amounted to more than $16 million, while damages to residential homes are believed to be up to $130 million. The hurricane, which was identified as a Category 3 event, has totaled 19 homes and affected more than 2,000 buildings. More than 500 homes have also experienced some minor damage.

Daily life after this tumultuous storm has also taken a daily toll on the lives of residents across the board. Regular commuters have had to navigate around downed traffic lights, and power outages are still frequent.

September 11, 2024

News: Female cyclist, 62, seriously hurt in crash in Bradenton

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

BRADENTON, FL – A 62-year-old woman riding a bicycle was hospitalized for serious injuries after colliding with a pickup truck on U.S. 41 South Tuesday.

This collision happened before 11:30 p.m., south of 57th Avenue West, when the cyclist had gone in front of the truck, according to Bradenton Herald.

Florida Highway Patrol confirmed that the woman (from Bradenton) did not wear a helmet and was sent to HCA Florida Blake Hospital.

August 26, 2024

News: FHP called to multi-auto crash on Sunshine Skyway Bridge

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

MANATEE COUNTY, FL – Florida Highway Patrol was dispatched to the scene of a major multi-vehicle collision on the Sunshine Skyway Bridge Saturday.

FHP told WFLA they arrived at the scene, at mile marker 10, before 4 p.m. Upon arrival, they shut down all northbound lanes for an hour to accommodate their investigation and the crews’ scene clearance process.

The exact number of vehicles involved has not been verified. However, based on a photograph from the Florida Department of Transportation, it appears that at least six or seven automobiles were involved.

August 13, 2024

News: Oklahoma man passes away as car hits tree, fence in Bradenton

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

BRADENTON, FL – A 26-year-old man, a resident of Oklahoma City, succumbed to fatal wounds after crashing his Dodge Charger into a tree and fence over the weekend.

Florida Highway Patrol told WFLA this single-vehicle collision happened while the man, who they suspect was traveling at a high speed while going north on U.S. 301, had lost control of his steering wheel while pursuing a left-hand turn.

The man was found dead on Monday.