2 Dead After Friday-Night Crashes In Pinellas County: FHP

PINELLAS COUNTY, FL — Two people are dead following separate crashes that occurred in Pinellas County on Friday night.

According to the Florida Highway Patrol, the first crash happened around 8:40 p.m. on Belcher Road in Pinellas County. Police said a 68-year-old Tarpon Springs man was driving the wrong way in the northbound lanes when his Toyota collided with a Cadillac DTS driven by a Tarpon Springs woman near Beecher Drive East.

Following the initial collision, the Toyota also hit a third car driven by a Palm Harbor man. All three vehicles eventually came to a stop in the travel lanes of Belcher Road.

The driver of the Toyota was taken to a nearby hospital, where he later died. The other drivers were also hospitalized with injuries.

Three hours later, state police responded to a separate incident on Gandy Boulevard west of Oak Street Northeast.

According to police, a 27-year-old woman from St. Petersburg attempted to run south across the highway when she was struck by a Dodge pickup driven by a 53-year-old Dover woman. The pedestrian was taken to the hospital, where she later died.