Mother killed, 2 daughters hurt in crash

Police say the accident occurred when an elderly man sped through an intersection on McMullen-Booth Road.

[Times photo: Jim Damaske] A woman was killed and her two daughters were injured in the car at left. An elderly man was in the car at right. Police say the woman died at the scene. The young girls and the man were taken to hospitals.

By CHRIS TISCH
© St. Petersburg Times
published April 5, 2002

CLEARWATER -- A woman was killed and her two young daughters injured in a crash on McMullen-Booth Road on Thursday afternoon.

The crash occurred when an elderly man drove his Lincoln through an intersection, clipped a car and lost control. The Lincoln then came over a median and struck the woman's car, causing it to flip, police said.

Both cars came to rest in front of Countryside Baptist Church, just north of Enterprise Road.

Police said the elderly man was going at a high speed when he came through the intersection of Eastland Boulevard onto McMullen-Booth Road. It was unclear Thursday evening why he was going so fast. The man was taken by helicopter to Bayfront Medical Center, said police Lt. Steve Burch.

"We don't know why the gentleman was driving the way he was," Burch said.

The woman was pronounced dead on the scene. Her children, who are preteens, were taken by helicopter to St. Joseph's Hospital.

Updated conditions and identifications of the people involved were not available Thursday evening.

Safety Harbor resident Clarence Lampkins, 47, was vacuuming his van at a nearby gas station when he heard a loud bang. He thought it was a garbage truck and kept vacuuming.

"I just heard a big old boom," he said.

Lampkins realized there had been a crash when he saw an ambulance scream toward the scene. He went to take a look and saw the elderly man on the ground. He also saw paramedics tending to the two girls.

"When the paramedics asked their ages, one said 10 and the other said 12," Lampkins said, adding that he heard the older girl ask: "How's my mom?"

"They said, she's okay, let's just take care of you," Lampkins said.

A man who witnesses said was the father of the girls came to the scene after a member of the church called him. Police quickly took him inside Countryside Baptist.

"They grabbed him and took him into the church," Lampkins said.

A pastor later led him to a car and they left, witnesses said. Burch said he didn't believe the father attended that church.

Police closed the northbound lanes of McMullen-Booth Road into the evening while they investigated the crash. The southbound lanes also were moving slowly, though they were open. There were heavy backups throughout north Clearwater and Safety Harbor.

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