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St. Petersburg Woman Killed in 2-Vehicle Hit & Run Accident

July 10, 2010 - St. Petersburg, FL - 74-year-old Shirley Harris was less than a block away from her apartment when a Hyundai Sonata struck and killed her Saturday morning.

The St. Petersburg Times reports that witnesses say the black Hyundai, Florida license plate 227VNY, ran a red light
while traveling southbound on 4^th street. A Dodge Ram truck was heading east on First Avenue S. when the Hyundai crossed its path, the Dodge slamming into the rear passenger side.

The Hyundai spun out, striking Harris who was crossing the street at the time of the crash. It continued to spin, striking a parking meter and gouging the side of Paddy Burke's Irish Pub before fleeing the scene on 4^th street.

The car crash occurred near the St. Pete Times offices and security guard Hank Gottelman was one of the first to arrive at the scene. He checked Harris' pulse but she was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident. The intersection was cordoned off for nearly 4 hours to investigate the scene and the crash is under investigation.

The driver of the Dodge Ram, 59-year old William Burrows, remained at the scene and has been cooperating with the police. He has not been charged.

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.

The Law offices of William K. Saron serve the St. Petersburg and surrounding areas for their personal injury cases, contact us today for help with your claim - 727-345-4566 or 866-836-4947.

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