The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office Major Accident Investigation Team (M.A.I.T.) investigated a crash that claimed the life of a pedestrian Thursday evening in St. Petersburg.
Jee-esta Shurock, age 30 of Pinellas Park, died in the crash after 18 year-old Jamar Johnson of St. Petersburg fled a traffic stop.
The crash occurred at about 9:30 p.m. on July 18, 2019 at 5th Avenue at 20th Street North.
According to M.A.I.T. investigators, at approximately 9:24 p.m., a Violent Crimes Task Force (VCTF) deputy was driving his marked Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office Chevrolet Tahoe in the area of 44th Street North and Park Boulevard in Pinellas Park. While in the area, the deputy observed a tan 2007 Nissan Maxima, driven by 18-year-old Jamar Johnson, missing a tag light and a window tint violation.
The deputy attempted to conduct a traffic stop and activated all of his emergency equipment. The 2007 Nissan Maxima driven by Johnson fled from the attempted traffic stop at a high rate of speed.
The deputy deactivated his emergency equipment and did not follow or pursue the vehicle. The deputy notified undercover VCTF members that the Nissan Maxima fled in the area.
Deputies say Johnson fled eastbound on Park Boulevard, then drove southbound on I-275. Members of VCTF were able to “surveil” Johnson from a distance utilizing unmarked vehicles, according to investigators.
Johnson continued southbound on I-275 at a high rate of speed. Deputies from the VCTF continued to “surveil” the Nissan Maxima from a distance with no emergency equipment activated according to the Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies say while Johnson was traveling southbound on I-275, he abruptly crossed three lanes of heavy traffic to exit I-275 onto the 5th Avenue North off-ramp, toward 20th Street North.
According to deputies, a 2013 Honda Accord being driven by an 18-year-old St. Petersburg woman, was traveling eastbound in a 2013 Honda Civic on 5th Avenue North, when she entered the intersection of 20th Street North with a green traffic light.
Johnson’s vehicle ran the red traffic light at the intersection of 5th Avenue and 20th Street North and struck the front end of the Honda Accord.
The collision sent Johnson’s vehicle into a spin, which struck 30-year-old, Jee-esta J. Shurock, as she was walking eastbound, in the designated crosswalk along the eastbound lanes, at 5th Avenue at 20th Street North.
Johnson fled the scene on foot and was apprehended a short time later.
Shurock was transported to a Bayfront Health St. Petersburg where she was pronounced deceased.
The driver of the Honda did not sustain any injuries.
Johnson was transported to the hospital for non-life threatening injuries and then taken to the Pinellas County Jail without incident.
Johnson was charged with one count of Vehicular Homicide, one count of Fleeing & Eluding, one count of Leaving the Scene of a Crash with Death, one count of Leaving the Scene of a Crash with Property Damage, and Driving with Suspended or Revoked Driver’s License (3rd offense.
VCTF is a task force that focuses on violent crime in Pinellas County. The task force is comprised of law enforcement officers from the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office and the Clearwater Police Department.