PCSO Corporal Involved in Crash Leaving Motorcyclist Critical

PCSO Corporal Involved in Crash Leaving Motorcyclist Critical

Updated: January 15, 2015

On Thursday afternoon, Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri held a news conference to update the status on the tragic accident that occurred on Tuesday evening involving one of his officers.

Gualtieri states that Corporal Miner, an undercover narcotics detective, was driving a 2011 Buick LaCrosse with 3 other detectives.  As Corporal Miner pulled onto 9th Street he failed to yield the right of way to 20 year-old Eli Ulibarrias.  Ulibarrias locked up the brakes of his motorcycle and was rushed to Bayfront Health St. Petersburg.  He he remains in “extremely critical” condition according to the Sheriff.  He is paralyzed from mid-chest down, both lungs collapsed, liver and kidney lacerated, a brain bleed and his spinal cord cut in two places along with a fractured spinal column.  Despite all of his injuries, he is expected to survive.

“Sole responsibility for this terrible accident rests with Corporal Miner and the sole liability rests with the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office as his employer and responsible for this actions while on duty,” said the Sheriff. Corporal Miner was issued a citation for the violation of the right of way for failure to yield.  A review board at the Sheriff’s Office will also review the details of the incident.

Sheriff Gualtieri wrote a check in the amount of $200,000 which is the maximum allowed under Florida Law and offered it to Ulibarrias’ parents.  It was noted that it was Eli’s 21st birthday on January 14, 2015.




Two video were released by the Sheriff’s Office. One was of the news conference and the other is video footage of the collision from a camera in the area.

Video of news conference

Video of crash

Posted: January 13, 2016 12:45 AM

A Corporal with the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office was involved in a crash Tuesday evening. The crash occurred at about 7:40 PM at the intersection of MLK St and 62nd Ave N in St Petersburg.

According to investigators, Corporal Joe Miner was driving his unmarked Sheriff’s Office vehicle and began to pull out of the Dunkin Donuts parking lot at 6132 Martin Luther King Street North.

20 year-old Eli Ulibarrias of St. Petersburg was on a 2005 Honda motorcycle and was traveling southbound on MLK Street North, approaching this area.

Corporal Miner pulled out of the parking lot and began to cross MLK Street North to head northbound when the motorcycle struck the driver’s side of his vehicle.

The motorcyclist, attempted to avoid the collision and locked up his brakes, causing him to slide into the side of the vehicle.

Eli Ulibarri was transported to a local hospital by Sunstar Paramedics with life threatening injuries.

Corporal Miner was not injured in the crash.




The motorcyclist was wearing a helmet at the time of the crash.

It does not appear that speed or impairment are factors in the crash according to investigators.

The investigation continues.

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