Crashes claim lives of motorcyclist, car driver

By CASEY CORA, Times Staff Writer
Published August 14, 2007

TAMPA - Two men were killed in unrelated traffic crashes Sunday night in Hillsborough County.

In one, a motorcycle traveling at a high speed clipped the back end of a moving car, police said.

Nicholas A. Seth, 31, had been traveling north along S West Shore Boulevard at Leila Avenue on a 2007 Triumph motorcycle around 9:30 p.m. when he struck the back right end of a 1998 Honda Civic, also headed north.

Seth was thrown from the motorcycle into a light pole. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Elsewhere, a 32-year-old man was killed after he crashed three times along Morris Bridge Road in the Branchton area, investigators say.

Authorities said James A. Zelk of 6630 10th Ave. N in St. Petersburg was traveling south on Morris Bridge Road and weaving in and out of the northbound lanes.

Investigators said Zelk's 1998 Chrysler first struck a northbound 2005 Toyota driven by Vantisha Edgecomb-Knowles, 21, of Zephyrhills around 8:35 p.m.

Edgecomb-Knowles and a passenger, 21-year-old Nathaniel Vinje, were not injured.

The Chrysler continued and sideswiped another northbound car, a 1987 Honda driven by Jose Arellano, 30, of Dade City. Arellano and his two passengers were not injured.

The Chrysler continued in the northbound lanes and struck a 2000 Chevrolet pickup head-on.

The truck's occupants - Robert Oblinsky, 43, and Joshua Oblinsky, 18, both of Crystal Springs - were taken to Tampa General Hospital, where they were treated and released.

Investigators with the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office are continuing their investigation.

Times staff writer Michael A. Mohammed contributed to this report.

[Last modified August 13, 2007, 23:59:36]