Palm Harbor crash sends local woman's sedan into Wendy's restaurant
Pinellas County, Florida - A two-vehicle traffic crash that occurred at 7:36 pm, on Wednesday evening, Dec. 23, resulted in serious injuries to the driver of the first vehicle, a 69 year-old Palm Harbor man, and only minor injuries to the three occupants of the second vehicle that was redirected by the crash into the Wendy's restaurant, located at 34092 U.S. Hwy. 19 N. in Palm Harbor, FL.
Both vehicle involved in the crash were sedans. The driver of the second vehicle was a 20 year-old woman from Beverly Hills, FL, who carried two passengers, a 22 year-old man and a 17 year-old girl, both of Holiday, FL.
According to a press release by the Florida Highway Patrol ("FHP"), the first vehicle was traveling north on US 19 in the left turn lane at the intersection with Highlands Blvd., while the second vehicle was traveling south on US 19, in the inside lane, north of Highlands Blvd. The press release stated that the first vehicle turned left into the path of the second vehicle, which resulted in the two vehicles colliding, nearly head-on.
After the inpact, the first vehicle rotated to final rest within the roadway (US 19). However, the impact redirected the second vehicle across all the southbound traffic lanes of US 19, into the driveway access of the Wendy's restaurant, and into the Wendy's buildimg, which caused an estimated $15,000 in damages to the restaurant.
The 69 year-old driver of the first vehicle was cited with making an improper turn.
In its press releases, the FHP no longer identifies the people or the specific models of vehicles involved in traffic crashes, citing Marsy's Law as the reason.