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Two men killed, third injured in crash on U.S. 41

The third man is airlifted to a hospital after Sunday morning's head-on collision in front of a bar.

By JORGE SANCHEZ
Published August 14, 2006

FLORAL CITY - Two men were killed and a third was airlifted to a trauma center after a head-on collision on U.S. 41 on Sunday morning.

The crash occurred in front of the Wishing Stone Tavern, 5975 U.S. 41. The tavern was closed when the crash happened at 11 a.m., but several employees preparing to open were inside and heard the crash.

Florida Highway Patrol troopers on the scene said the crash was caused when an older Ford Crown Victoria, southbound on U.S. 41, drifted across the center line and struck a northbound Chevrolet pickup with two people inside.

Both occupants of the pickup were killed. The FHP identified the two as Rowland C. Dabinett, 74, whose address was listed as a post office box in Floral City, and Gene Edward Odegaard, 76, no address listed.

The driver of the 1991 Ford sedan was Scott S. Baker, 26, 6801 E Fleming Ave., Floral City, according to the FHP.

He was airlifted to St. Joseph's Hospital in Tampa. No information on his condition was available.

Both cars had severe damage and it appeared that neither driver applied the brakes because there were no skid marks.

John Heatley, who owns the Wishing Stone, said he heard the impact, took a glance outside and then called 911.

Another worker, Milt Sowers, who was cleaning the bar, also went outside.

He said Odegaard, the passenger of the pickup, had been ejected and the body landed against the front wall of the tavern, just a few feet from U.S. 41.

"I tried to help him breathe, and he had a pulse when I reached him," Sowers said. "But he died right there against the wall and there was nothing I could do to help him."

Dabinett, the driver of the pickup, also died at the scene. Firefighters had to use special equipment to remove the body.

U.S. 41 was closed from 11 a.m. to nearly 2 p.m., with traffic rerouted on Old Floral City Road, while crews cleaned up the wreckage.

Staffers from the Wishing Stone offered dehydrated firefighters glasses of cold water and invited them inside to cool off in the air conditioning.

[Last modified August 14, 2006, 06:31:39]