Crime & Safety
Fatal Crash Victim Identified
Two people were trapped inside their van after a crash near Exit 16, heading toward the Skyway Bridge.
(Editors' note: This article was updated at 11:45 a.m. to include the identities of the crash victims and details on the accident.)
One person is dead and four others were rushed to local hospitals this morning following a crash on Interstate 275, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
The motorist killed in the crash has been identified as 58-year-old Sandra Weems of St. Petersburg, who was driving a 2004 Pontiac.
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David C. Davis, 44, of Oldsmar has been identified as the driver of the second vehicle in the two-car crash. He was taken to Bayfront Medical Center for treament of injuries. Davis was driving a Ford Van.
Dragan Radak, a passenger in Davis' Van, also suffered injuries and was taken to Bayfront Medical Center. Vincent Edward Ortiz, 38, and Fehim Dapo, 50, of St. Petersburg, suffered minor injuries, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
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Two southbound lanes of I-275 are closed, as state troopers investigate a the fatal two-car crash, which occurred at 6:38 a.m. A car and van collided, trapping both people in the van.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, the Pontiac was traveling in the wrong direction, against traffic, in the southbound lanes of Interstate 275. The Van was traveling south on Interstate 275 in the left lane.
Despite an attempt by Davis to veer from the oncoming vehicle, the right front of the Pontiac collided with the right front of the Van. The Pontiac rotated clockwise and came to a final rest facing southeast in the center of the road.
The Van came to a final rest facing south on the inside shoulder. Weems sustained fatal injuries and died at the scene of the crash.
The crash scene is near Exit 16, just before the Miesner Bridge, heading toward the Skyway Bridge. St. Petersburg Fire & Rescue also are on the scene.
Motorists traveling in the area will need to exit at 54th Avenue South, as the route to the Skyway Bridge is closed on the interstate. Access the Skyway Bridge is via US 19.
Paramedics on scene stated that one patient is confirmed dead, and two patients are in critical condition. Both patients are being transported to Bayfront
Medical Center.
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