Two Children Injured And Man Dead In Crash On US-19 In Pasco County
Michael Babboni
Crash Reports
Pasco County - Florida Highway Patrol has announced that one person has died, and a woman and two children have sustained minor injuries after an auto accident. According to the report by FHP, the fatal crash began as a 79-year-old man from New Port Richey was driving an SUV northbound on U.S. Highway 19.
At the same time, a pickup truck driven by a 35 year-old-man with three passengers including, a 30-year-old woman, a 4-year-old girl, and an 8-year-old girl, was traveling on Sea Ranch Drive near the intersection with US 19. The driver and all of the passengers riding in the truck were from Spring Hill and, the report states that they were not wearing their seat belts.
When the driver of the SUV traveling on US-19 reached the intersection with Sea Ranch Drive, he attempted to turn left onto Sea Ranch Drive and traveled directly into the path of the pickup truck with the children.
The SUV crashed into the pickup truck. After the collision, the SUV traveled into the grass median and the pickup truck came to rest on the west shoulder after the crash.
The elderly 79 year-old-man from New Port Richey who drove the pickup truck died at the scene of the accident. He had not been wearing his seat belt at the time of the crash.
The driver of the truck and the three passengers, the 30 year-old-woman, with two children from Spring Hill, all sustained minor injuries.
US-19 A Dangerous Road In Pasco County
In Pasco County, there have been at least 16 fatalities and 1540 injuries, since the start of the year, according to an estimate made by the Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.
US 19 has been considered to be an especially dangerous place for all those who travel on it. Commissioners of the city of Pasco County voted to support a new initiative for midblock crosswalks, to improve area safety.
The Florida Department of Transportation also spent millions of dollars on safety features which include upgraded lighting, delayed green lights for vehicle traffic, and other intersection changes.