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Road death mars beach reunion

A pickup strikes a couple, killing the man and seriously injuring his wife as they try to cross Gulf Boulevard.

By ADRIENNE P. SAMUELS
Published June 27, 2005

NORTH REDINGTON BEACH - For two decades, the group of 40 family members from North Carolina and Clearwater had been meeting for a reunion at the Sandalwood Beach Resort on Gulf Boulevard.

Folks started checking in Friday, but never thought their Saturday night would end in death and mourning after two family members were struck by a pickup while trying to cross the street to the hotel.

Kermit Ross, 86, of Clearwater, died at the scene and his wife, Doris Ross, 77, was taken to Bayfront Medical Center with life-threatening injuries, deputies said.

The accident happened about 9:23 p.m. Saturday, after the couple parked their car on the east side of the 17100 block of Gulf Boulevard, deputies said. The couple successfully crossed northbound lanes and the median before being struck by a Chevrolet pickup heading south, said Sheriff's Office spokesman Sgt. Jim Bordner.

The driver, William Zimmerman, 75, of St. Petersburg, has not been charged with a crime and sheriff's deputies say excessive speed doesn't factor into the crash.

It is unclear why Zimmerman hit the Rosses, who, though wearing light-colored clothing, were not crossing at a crosswalk, deputies said. Investigators also noted that, except for ambient lighting from businesses, the area was "poorly lit," said Bordner.

"Ambient lighting is going to silhouette you or backlight you and in some circumstances could make you difficult to see," said Bordner. "We're not sure if that's a circumstance or not."

Sandalwood Beach Resort employee Barbarann Smith said she always reminds people to take care crossing the street. Half of the resort's parking spaces are on the east side of Gulf Boulevard, while the hotel is on the west side and has beach access.

The intersection there is already bad, she said. Pedestrians often dart between parked cars when crossing the street.

Also, both the Sheriff's Office and Smith say the nearest crosswalk is about 100 feet away.

"Customers are always complaining about lighting while crossing the street and that there should be crossing signs there," said Smith. "It's just bad out there at night. They should have a caution light so cars could slow down."

The Rosses were returning from an evening at Crabby Bill's Seafood restaurant in Indian Rocks Beach with their daughter, Smith said.

Last year, a 5-year-old girl was hit and killed while crossing Gulf Boulevard in nearby St. Pete Beach. Since January, several pedestrians and bikers have been killed while crossing the streets of Largo and Clearwater.

Though crosswalks don't guarantee safety, the Sheriff's Office encourages people to use them.

Zimmerman does not get an "automatic ticket," said Bordner. The investigation must be completed before any charges are filed.

[Last modified June 27, 2005, 01:05:15]