At approximately 1:30 a.m. on Sunday, May 5, 2024, crews from Clearwater Police and Clearwater Fire & Rescue responded to a traffic crash in the 1200 block of Gulf Boulevard in Sand Key.
The crash involved a red 2007 Ford F-150 and a tractor-trailer. The pickup truck was lodged under the tractor-trailer, and firefighters initiated an operation to extricate the two occupants. Additional fire rescue units were requested to assist with the extended extrication.
The passenger in the pickup, 41-year-old Mark Harris of Valrico, was pronounced dead at the scene.
The driver, 36-year-old Michael D. Jones of Clearwater, remains in critical condition at Orlando Health Bayfront Hospital in St. Petersburg.
The crash occurred as a tractor-trailer was backing into the driveway of the Sheraton Sand Key Hotel.
A northbound 2007 pickup was traveling at a high of speed and slammed into the tractor-trailer. The impact tore the roof off the pickup and the vehicle became lodged under the tractor-trailer.
Speed and alcohol appear to be factors in the crash according to investigators.
The driver of the tractor-trailer refused medical care at the scene.
This resulted in the closure of Gulf Boulevard in the Sand Key area during the investigation until approximately 8:15 a.m.
