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Two teens in another vehicle involved in the accident are hospitalized with injuries.
By MATTHEW WAITE, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times, published March 6, 2002
NEW PORT RICHEY -- Jo Anne Lowrie was waiting to turn right and Laura Helmrich was next to her waiting to turn left at the Heritage Lake Boulevard stoplight.
Coming north up Little Road about 10:55 a.m. Tuesday, Clayton Young and Robert Thibault, both 17, were driving behind their friends, on the way to McDonald's between classes at Mitchell High School and Marchman Technical Education Center.
Young and Thibault were talking when they saw a green Lumina make a left turn across Little Road toward Heritage Lakes Estates.
The teens saw the collision, as did Helmrich. Lowrie didn't see it, but, she said, "I certainly felt it."
The green Lumina, driven by 82-year-old Margaret Talley, turned into the path of a 1994 Honda Civic, driven by 16-year old Jeremy Miracle. The two cars collided with enough force to kill Talley and her 88-year old husband, Charles, and send the cars spinning.
Lowrie and Helmrich watched as the Talley's Lumina clipped the front end of Helmrich's Cutlass Supreme and slammed broadside into Lowrie's Lincoln Town Car. The force of that collision pushed Lowrie's car 6 feet to the north before the curb stopped both cars.
"I was moving before I knew I was moving," Lowrie, 73, said.
Passenger Steven Dees, 16, got out of the Civic, his arm broken, and sat on the grass median marking Heritage Lake. Miracle's wrist was broken, and Thibault leaned in and undid his friend's seat belt for him.
No one moved in the Talleys' car.
"I opened the door to get her out but she was already dead," Helmrich, 40, of New Port Richey said.
Several people on the scene called 911 using cell phones, and Florida Highway Patrol troopers and paramedics arrived. Both Miracle and Dees were put on a medical helicopter and flown to Bayfront Medical Center in St. Petersburg for treatment.
The Talleys lived on St. Lawrence Drive, just a few blocks from where they were killed. Their deaths are the 18th and 19th traffic fatalities in Pasco County this year.
-- Matthew Waite can be reached in west Pasco at 869-6247 or toll free at 1-800-333-7505, ext. 6247. His e-mail address is waite@sptimes.com.