The Largo Police Department continues to investigate a fatal wrong way crash on US-19 in Largo. The crash occurred shortly before 2:15 a.m. on Sunday, May 3, 2020, on the overpass of northbound US-19 near 66th Street.
Officers and fire rescue personnel arrived on-scene of the two vehicle crash. Investigators say that the driver of a wrong way vehicle, a 2014 Nissan Murano, was traveling southbound in the northbound lanes and struck a vehicle traveling northbound, a 2004 Mitsubishi Outlander.
The wrong way driver was identified as 27 year-old Britney Crawford of Tampa.
According to the arrest affidavit, two Pinellas County Sheriff’s Deputies were passed by Crawford at a high rate of speed. The deputies were unable to stop the vehicle. It was reported that she was traveling the wrong way on US-19 in the area of Countryside Mall. Her vehicle ultimately collided nearly head-on with the northbound vehicle that was approaching the crest of the overpass near 66th Street N.
Following the crash, Crawford was found in the driver’s seat unconscious and firefighters worked to extricate her from the vehicle. Officers noted a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage emanating from her breath and two open cans of Hard Seltzer were found in the passenger compartment. According to the arrest affidavit, Crawford’s alcohol level was .202 which is about 2 1/2 times the legal limit.
Crawford was flown to a local trauma center for her injuries after she was extricated from the vehicle. Her passenger, a young child, was transported to a local hospital for non life threatening injuries.
Paramedics discovered one of the passengers in the northbound vehicle died of his injuries at the scene. The driver of that vehicle suffered an injury to their knee. The other passenger in the vehicle, a 10 year-old, received significant internal injuries but investigators say they are non life threatening injuries.
The roadway was reopened in the 8 o’clock hour after the on-site investigation was completed.
Britney Crawford of Tampa, was arrested and charged with DUI manslaughter, DUI with serious bodily injuries, Vehicular homicide, and Child neglect.
No other information is available at this time.
Aaron was an amazing person who was taken way to soon over a drunk driver who could of gotten a ride home that night!!!!!! So selfish!!!!! RIP AARON PENNING ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
She didn’t mean for this to happen she’s a great girl just made bad decisions i f have her for 7 years and she is hurting as much as his family
I am Aaron’s family and I assure you that her hurting is NOTHING like mine or the rest of his families. She deserves to be hurting, she’s the one who made the choice to do what she did. And to make it worse she even put her own child in danger. Aaron had no choice in this awful nightmare. He was robbed of his life at the age of 20. She had the choice not to drink and drive but she did it anyway. So she needs to be hurting right now and for many many days to come. She has crushed our family and stripped Aaron’s mom of the only child she had. He was her everything and now he is gone. She deserves every bit of hurt and discomfort in the coming days, weeks, months, years…. I can only pray that we get the justice Aaron deserves.
She is an irresponsible, worthless POS Who probably Always makes bad decisions and will never change. Too bad it’s not her buried 6 feet under and not the man she killed.
Aaron’s father is my roommate is devastated by the loss of his son which could have been totally avoided if a drunk driver had just taken an Uber ride home my heart goes out to Andrew and Aaron’s mother Aaron was an amazing young man may he rest in peace
My brother we love you aaron and will miss you everyday
No way chick blew a .202 from a couple of cans of hard seltzer.
This one was blitzed out of her mind, and deserves the needle for this BS.
The needle? Really? why not 20 years with a chance of Parole?
Have we devolved so much that AM EYE FOR AN EYE has become the norm in our society?
My heart goes out to the family and friends suffering the needless loss of their love one due to this person’s very stupid act. Probably the most positive part of this whole “safer at home” ordeal is the bars are closed and less chances of DUI related incidences. I’d like to know where in hell was she coming from to be this trashed when no bars are open? If it was someone’s house, they are complicit for allowing her to drive when there are so many other options. There’s zero excuse, just like every DUI.
Ughh I just don’t understand why CHILDREN were out at 2:15AM?? RIP to the victim.. my heart is with the family!
She is an idiot who thought of no one. This should never had happened if she was a responsible person. I hope she pays the maximum pentily for this crime. I wish comfort for Arron’s family.