Three Seriously Injured in Two Vehicle Crash on Starkey Road Sunday Evening
Troopers from the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) continue to investigate a vehicle crash that occurred at approximately 5:50 pm on Sunday, September 24, 2017. The crash occurred in front of 10500 Starkey Road.
According to a FHP report, 32 year-old Karen Thaxton of Seminole, Florida was traveling northbound in the outside lane of Starkey Road in a 2006 Chevy Equinox.
Micah Callahan, age 26 of Jacksonville, Florida, was traveling southbound in the outside lane of Starkey Road in a Toyota RAV4.
Due to heavy rainfall in the area, Thaxton lost control of her Chevy as she traveled over standing water in the roadway.
Thaxton lost control of her vehicle which traveled across the raised center median and into the path of Callahan’s Toyota. After a head-on collision, both vehicles came to rest in a water filled ditch on the west side of the roadway.
The FHP report described the condition of the tires on the Chevy as, “possessed of minimal tread.”
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One of Thaxton’s passengers, 7 year-old Marquell Norfleet, was ejected from the vehicle into the roadway. The other passenger, 6 year-old Maurice Norfleet, was also injured but remained in the vehicle. FHP reports that both children were critically injured.
Thaxton was transported to Bayfront Health St. Petersburg with minor injuries. Both children were transported via Sunstar Paramedics to Bayfront Health St. Petersburg as trauma alerts.
Callahan was extricated from the vehicle and flown via Aeromed to a local trauma center as a trauma alert.
Agencies on-scene: City of Seminole Fire Rescue, Largo Fire Rescue, Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, Florida Highway Patrol, Aeromed, and Sunstar Paramedics.
As of 9:40pm, the southbound lanes of traffic on Starkey Road were still blocked as the investigation continues.
According to the FHP report, all occupants utilized either a seatbelt or child restraint device.
Charges are listed as pending.
Updated: Added the information about seatbelt/child restraint devices being utilized
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