Troopers from the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) are currently investigating a fatal crash that occurred on CR-1 at Manning Road. The crash occurred shortly before 10 a.m. on Saturday, July 3, 2021.
According to preliminary information from FHP, the now deceased female driver, a 39 year-old Dunedin resident, was operating an SUV, southbound in the inside lane of CR-1 approaching Manning Road.
A second vehicle, operated by a 61 year-old Dunedin woman was traveling northbound in the inside lane of CR-1 in an SUV. A passenger bus, operated by a 40 year-old Palm Harbor man was was traveling northbound in the outside lane behind the second vehicle.
For unknown reason, the driver of the southbound SUV lost control of the vehicle which rotated into the northbound travel lanes and collided with the front of the northbound SUV. After the impact, the northbound SUV was then redirected into the path of and struck by the passenger bus.
All three vehicles rotated to final rest in the northbound lanes and shoulder of CR-1.
Initially two medivac helicopters were requested to respond to the scene as extrication was initiated to free two of the drivers. Both helicopters were ultimately cancelled. The driver of the southbound SUV died at the scene of the crash and the driver of the other SUV was transported to Bayfront Health St. Petersburg with injuries described as non life-threatening.
The Florida Highway Patrol’s policy is to withhold the names of all parties involved in crashes due to Marsy’s Law. This law, passed by the voters in 2018, was law was meant to protect crime victims. FHP has expanded and provided this protection even to those that have been arrested and caused the death of others in recent DUI cases. Their interpretation deprives the public of information that had always been available as part of the state’s public records law.