Woman's license suspended in fatal crash

Three pedestrians died, but police say it didn't rise to manslaughter.

By JOSE CARDENAS
Published June 22, 2007

TARPON SPRINGS - A Pasco County woman was ordered this week to give up her driver's license for a year after she accidently drove her van in January into three elderly people who later died.

Sandra K. Burns, 70, of New Port Richey, backed into the three at the Tarpon Plaza Shopping Center in the 700 block of S Pinellas Avenue.

On Wednesday, she pleaded no contest in Pinellas County traffic court to a misdemeanor charge of improper backing. County Judge John D. Carballo also ordered Burns to pay a $1, 000 fine.

Burns was not charged with a more serious crime because it was an accident, police said.

"It did not raise to the level of manslaughter, " Tarpon Springs police Capt. Jeffrey Young said. "There was no wanton disregard for public safety. It was truly one of those cases that was an accident."

Burns initially drove her 2006 Honda Odyssey into a traffic lane between a building and the first row of parking spaces. She found the lane blocked with cones.

When she backed up, she veered onto the sidewalk and hit the victims, who were outside the Hospice Thrift Shop.

Passers-by who rushed to help said Burns was in shock after the collision.

One victim, Amelia E. McBride, 92, of Tarpon Springs, was flown to Bayfront Medical Center but efforts to revive her failed.

Lillian Wright, 79, and her husband, Donald Wright, 82, of Palm Harbor, were taken to Tampa General Hospital. They died a few weeks later.

[Last modified June 21, 2007, 21:57:17]