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Speeding Driver Knocks Utility Pole into Traffic, Causes U.S. 19 Car Crash

March 18, 2011 - Palm Harbor, FL - According to a report from Tampabay.com, 5 people were severely injured in a U.S. 19 car crash. 

On the morning of March 15, a Pontiac was traveling north on U.S.19 when it crashed into a Toyota Highlander that was turning onto the highway from Colonial Boulevard. Witnesses to the U.S. 19 crash say the driver of the Pontiac appeared to be speeding.

The Pontiac then struck a utility pole, which fell onto several lanes. The driver of the Pontiac, 28-year-old Evan Nicholas Andropoulos, a Tarpon Springs resident, was taken by ambulance to St. Joseph's in Tampa.

The 2 passengers in Andropoulous' car, Tampa resident Jennifer Daly, 28, and Palm Harbor resident Gavin Clarkson, 28, were flown to Bayfront Medical Center in St. Petersburg.

Sylvia Benedetti, 67, of Endicott, New York was driving the Highlander and was taken by ambulance to Bayfront Medical Center. The passenger of the Toyota, John Little, 68, of Palm Harbor, was flown to Bayfront. Meanwhile, traffic along U.S. 19 was stalled for more than an hour as cleanup crews cleared the wreckage.

Charges are pending an investigation and there is no report available on the injured people's conditions.

If you have been injured in a Florida car accident, consulting with a St. Petersburg personal injury lawyer should be your next step. A lawyer can evaluate your case to determine if you should file a personal injury claim.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's 2008 Florida Crash Statistics, there were 2,978 fatalities as a result of car accidents in Florida.

As a service to the residents of St. Petersburg, our firm will frequently publish blogs about local traffic accidents. We do this to raise awareness about the common types of motor vehicle accidents that occur in Florida that may result in serious injury or traffic fatalities.

Common accidents include, but are not limited to: 

• single-car accidents;
• accidents caused by hazardous road conditions; and
• accidents caused by aggressive driving or distracted drivers. 

If you have been named in this blog or you are the victim's family member or friend and would like the blog removed from our website, please feel free to contact us and we will promptly accommodate your request.

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