Woman killed in crash on U.S 19

The woman drove south in the northbound lanes and caused accidents involving five other cars, authorities say.

By KELLEY BENHAM
© St. Petersburg Times
published November 9, 2002

TARPON SPRINGS -- Three years ago when Leta Anne Hough drove her Nissan in the wrong lane and caused a wreck she lost her license for six months.

Early Friday, police said, she did it again. This time, she died. Three others were hurt.

Hough, 29, caused a series of collisions on U.S. 19 N just after midnight as she sped south in the northbound lane, Tarpon Springs police said.

It started in Pasco County, where Judith MacKinnon was almost home and a little sleepy when she saw headlights zooming toward her in the darkness.

MacKinnon yanked the wheel to the right, but the headlights followed her, as if on purpose, she said.

Hough clipped the back of MacKinnon's burgundy Mitsubishi Eclipse convertible near State Road 54, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. MacKinnon said Hough's car ran her and another car off the road.

Then Hough kept going, police said.

MacKinnon, 30, of Hudson, said she and other drivers watched in disbelief as Hough sped south toward Tarpon Springs, still in the northbound lane.

"Wow," MacKinnon thought. "She's going fast."

A few minutes and 31/2 miles later, Hough caused a four-car collision south of Beckett Way that killed her and injured three others.

First, Hough's Nissan sideswiped a red Ford driven by Joan M. DeConda, 55, of Holiday. DeConda was unhurt.

It then slammed head-on into a green Toyota, injuring the driver and passenger. Daniel J. Lambertson, 46, of Holiday, and Carl Camillo, 32, of Oldsmar, were taken by helicopter to Bayfront Medical Center in St. Petersburg where they were treated and released.

The Toyota spun and hit a gold Nissan driven by Candice Campbell, 29, of Port Richey. She was taken by ambulance to Helen Ellis Memorial Hospital with minor injuries.

Hough, of 1212 S Pointe Alexis Drive, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Doreen Antonio has some idea what the four drivers who ran into Hough Friday were feeling.

In 1999, Antonio was turning onto Florida Avenue when, like MacKinnon and the others, she saw Hough's white Nissan coming toward her in the wrong lane in the middle of the night.

She maneuvered around Hough's car, but Hough followed her.

Hough bumped the back of her minivan. Antonio thought it was an accident, but then Hough followed her for several blocks, despite a flat tire, until she had rammed Antonio's minivan five more times.

And then Hough kept going. Police caught up with her later and arrested her. Her blood-alcohol was more than twice the legal limit. She later pleaded no contest to charges of DUI and aggravated assault, was placed on probation and had her license revoked for six months.

Police did not know whether alcohol was a factor in Friday's crashes, said Tarpon Springs Sgt. Jeffrey Young. They are still investigating, he said.

MacKinnon, who had been driving home from her job as a bartender in Ybor City when Hough hit her, was not surprised to learn that the wreck was not the first for Hough, or the last.

"She looked like she was trying to get in an accident," MacKinnon said. "I was just like, wow."

-- Times researcher Caryn Baird contributed to this report.

-- Kelley Benham can be reached at 445-4182 or benham@sptimes.com .

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