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Man, 77, killed when he steps into path of car

Investigators say he was trying to cross Seminole Boulevard. No charges have been filed against the driver of the Honda Civic.

By DEMORRIS A. LEE, Times Staff Writer
Published September 8, 2007

LARGO - A man was killed Thursday as he tried to cross Seminole Boulevard.

The name of the 77-year-old man has not been released but Trooper Larry Coggins of the Florida Highway Patrol said he is from Ohio.

Authorities have not been able to locate any local relatives for the man and are currently searching for any relatives.

Investigators said the man was walking across Seminole Boulevard around 6:45 p.m. when he stopped at the center median.

When he tried to cross the northbound lane, he stepped in front of a 2006 Honda Civic. The man was thrown onto the hood of the car, then fell to the pavement.

He was flown to Bayfront Medical Center in St. Petersburg, where he was pronounced dead.

The driver of the Civic, 22-year-old Erin A. Reese of St. Petersburg stopped after the accident, investigators said. No charges have been filed.

There have been a number of elderly residents hit by cars while trying to cross Pinellas County streets recently. In July, Dorothy Orkney, 83, was struck by a car on Gulf Boulevard in North Redington Beach while trying to cross the street with her daughter.

In March, Armando Fallo, 85, of Largo, was killed trying to cross Missouri Avenue at Jasper Street. His wife, Mary, 80, was seriously injured.

In 2006, 29 pedestrians died on Pinellas roads, five of them while using crosswalks. Another 465 were injured with 112 of them in crosswalks.

In 2005, a National Highway Transportation Safety Administration survey determined that Florida was the deadliest state for pedestrians with 3.24 deaths per 1,000 residents.

The study also said that a pedestrian is likely to be over 70 years of age when killed.

Staff writer Casey Cora contributed to this story. Demorris A. Lee can be reached at 445-4174 or dalee@sptimes.com

[Last modified September 7, 2007, 21:13:22]