Troopers from the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) are currently investigating a collision involving five vehicles and resulting in two fatalities. The incident occurred around 10:35 p.m. on Saturday, February 3, 2024.
According to preliminary information provided by FHP, a 50-year-old male resident of Largo and sole occupant of a Chevy Trax was traveling northbound on US-19 in the inside center lane, located south of Republic Drive. The driver failed to stop for multiple vehicles that were stationary in traffic across various lanes on US-19. This led to collisions involving a Hyundai Santa Fe, Jeep Cherokee, Kia Stringer, and a Mercedes GLE.
The Hyundai Santa Fe was initially struck from behind, causing it to be propelled into the other three vehicles. Both the driver of the Chevy Trax and a 54-year-old female passenger from Clearwater, who was in the Santa Fe, were airlifted to trauma centers. Unfortunately, both individuals died from their injuries.
The 62-year-old male driver of the Santa Fe, a resident of Clearwater, received treatment for injuries resulting from the crash. FHP reports that none of the other drivers or passengers sustained physical injuries in the incident.
The collision necessitated the closure of the northbound lanes of US-19 until 2:07 a.m.
The investigation continues.
