PASCO COUNTY, Fla. – Six children, ranging in age from five to nine years old, were among several passengers ejected from an overturned vehicle in a two-car collision Wednesday morning in Pasco County.
All occupants of the vehicle, a Nissan Cube, sustained non-life-threatening injuries and were transported to area hospitals.
According to a report from the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP), the incident occurred at approximately 11:37 a.m. at the intersection of U.S. 19 and State Road 52.
FHP investigators state that a 33-year-old woman from Hudson, driving a Nissan Cube, was traveling northbound on US-19. Simultaneously, a 42-year-old Hudson man, operating a Toyota Tacoma, was traveling southbound on US-19 and began to turn left onto SR-52 after receiving a green traffic signal.
Troopers say that the Nissan Cube failed to stop for a red traffic signal, entering the path of the turning Toyota Tacoma. The impact caused the Nissan Cube to overturn, leading to the ejection of several passengers, including the six young children, onto the roadway.
Both vehicles ultimately came to rest in the northbound lanes of US-19. The driver of the Toyota Tacoma sustained minor injuries and did not require transport to a hospital.
The crash significantly impacted traffic in the area, closing portions of US-19 for nearly two hours until 1:13 PM. The Florida Highway Patrol is continuing its investigation into the incident.
Source : Tampa Free Press