3 Hospitalized After 7-Vehicle Crash

CLEARWATER, FL — As the Clearwater Police Department continues to investigate a seven-vehicle crash that took place on Sunset Point Road Friday afternoon, some details have been released.

According to police, a 2009 Hyundai Santa Fe driven by Jon James Curto, 64, was heading north on the U.S. 19 frontage road, south of Sunset Point, just before 4:30 p.m. Jan. 20. At that time, a Clearwater Fire & Rescue vehicle was responding to a call in emergency mode. Its driver, Aaron Campbell, was in the process of clearing the intersection at the time.

Witnesses told police, the fire truck was “cautiously navigating the intersection,” an email from the police department said, when Curto failed to yield and struck the right side of the fire truck.

The impact sent the fire truck into stopped traffic on Sunset Point Road. Campbell ultimately struck several other vehicles, the email said. Following the initial impact, Curto’s Santa Fe crashed into a stopped bus with 17 children from Safety Harbor Middle School on board, the agency said.

Curto suffered life-threatening injuries in the crash, police said. Campbell and his passenger, Chase Westbrook, were also taken to a hospital with less serious injuries, police said.

No other injuries were reported. Police said all 17 children on the bus “were safely returned to their homes.”

The investigation remains active with no charges announced at this time.

Photo courtesy of Clearwater Fire & Rescue