On Monday evening, February 5, 2024, 33-year Ilia Andoni was arrested and booked into the Pinellas County Jail. The exact charges are still pending; however, at least two charges are for vehicular homicide.
On Sunday, January 28, 2024, at approximately 5:15 am, Largo Fire Rescue and Largo Police officers responded to a vehicle crash at Starkey Road and East Bay Drive.
The collision involved a Honda sedan and a Mercedes C300 sedan.
The driver of the 2016 Mercedes, Ilia Andoni, was transported to Bayfront Health St. Petersburg with non-life-threatening injuries, while two occupants of the Honda died from their injuries at the scene. Friends and family have identified them as Ariadna Sánchez and Paulino Trejo-Mendoza.
The black 2014 Honda Civic overturned and came to rest in the Starbucks parking lot on the southeast corner of the intersection.
A 2016 Silver Mercedes Benz was traveling East on East Bay Dr. at a high rate of speed when a 2014 Black Honda Civic was traveling South on Starkey Rd.
The Mercedes Benz was witnessed to have run a redlight resulting with the vehicle colliding with the 2014 Honda Civic. As a result, both occupants of the 2014 Honda Civic were declared deceased on scene. Impairment was not a factor in the crash, according to investigators.
Following the crash, the Largo Police Department’s Traffic Homicide Investigators began an intensive week-long investigation where officers spoke with eyewitnesses, reviewed multiple video surveillance footages, and conducted follow-up investigations on statements provided.
The Largo Police Department’s Traffic Safety Unit worked in conjunction with the State Attorney’s Office to secure multiple search warrants, which resulted in confirming that Andoni was traveling at 92 mph at the time of the crash, in a 45 mph zone, while running the red light leading to the tragic deaths of Trejo-Mendoza and Sanchez Monrroy.
Using video surveillance and Pinellas County traffic light timing system, the traffic light in the direction that Andoni was going was red for about 14 seconds when he went improperly through the intersection.
Upon developing probable cause on the afternoon of February 5th and after speaking with the State Attorney’s Office, officers of the Largo and Clearwater Police Departments took Andoni into custody without incident.
He was being held on $100,000 bail and outfitted with a GPS monitor upon release.
Andoni was released from custody on bond at 12:48 p.m. on February 8, 2024.
The roadway fully reopened at approximately 12:20 p.m.
Just days after the crash, Andoni set up a GoFundMe account mentioning that he was injured in a vehicle crash.
