Four Seriously Injured in Multiple Vehicle Crash on I-275 in St. Petersburg
The Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) continues to investigate a crash that occurred at approximately 12:10 p.m. on Thursday, September 6, 2018. The four vehicle crash occurred in the northbound lanes of I-275 at milemarker 23 near 5th Avenue N in St. Petersburg.
Kim Gordon, age 49 of St. Petersburg was traveling southbound on I-275 in a 2014 Toyota Camry.
John Matthews, age 48 of St. Petersburg, was traveling northbound on I-275 in the middle northbound lane in a 2003 Dodge Durango.
Laporsha Smalls, age 26 of St. Petersburg, was traveling northbound on I-275 in the outside northbound lane in a 2001 Honda Accord. The passenger in the Accord has been identified as 32 year-old Tushawn Felton of St. Petersburg.
Karen Nice, age 50 of St. Petersburg, was traveling northbound on I-275 in the inside northbound lane in a 2013 Ford Focus.
According to investigators from FHP, Gordon lost control of her Camry which traveled southeast across the median into the northbound lanes of I-275. Her Camry then collided with Mattews’s Durango. The Camry then entered the outside northbound lane and struck the front of Smalls’ Accord. Following this collision, the Camry rotated and was then struck by Nice’s Ford Focus which came to a controlled stop on the inside northbound shoulder.
All parties involved sustained serious injuries with the exception of Karen Nice who escaped with minor injuries according to investigators.
The FHP report indicates that Gordon may have been under the influence at the time of the crash. The report also indicated that Matthews, Smalls and Felton were not wearing their seatbelt at the time of the crash.
Charges are listed as pending at this time.
The crash closed all northbound lanes of I-275 for many hours during the investigation.