Courtney Campbell Causeway Crash: Dropped Gatorade May Have Sparked Chain Reaction

CLEARWATER, FL — A momentary distraction caused by a dropped Gatorade bottle may be to blame for a multi-vehicle crash that sent eight people to the hospital Sunday night. An 18-month-old injured in the wreck suffered life-threatening injuries.

According to the Clearwater Police Department, the crash happened around 6:49 p.m. when Julie Gough, 23, failed to see traffic stopped in front of her for a red light at Damascus Road. Gough told police “she briefly took her eyes off the road after dropping a bottle of Gatorade,” an email from police said. “When she looked back up, it was too late to stop.”

Gough’s Honda CRV hit the rear of a Honda Odyssey, driven by Alexander Rodriguez, 38. The Odyssey then pushed into the rear of a Nissan Altima driven by Derek Shaffer, 27, police said. The Altima hit a Buick LeSabre driven by Darius Postell, 25.

Police say eight people were injured in the crash with the most serious injuries coming from the Odyssey. The 18-month-old, Gabriela Alvarez, was taken to Tampa General Hospital with life-threatening injuries. A 3-year-old was also injured and hospitalized, police said.

The crash closed the Courtney Campbell Causeway for several hours. No charges have been announced as of yet. The crash remains under investigation.

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