Elderly man struck, killed in driveway

By Times Staff Writer
Published December 10, 2007

Tampa

An 85-year-old man was killed after a car hit him in his driveway Sunday morning, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office.

Detectives are investigating the crash, which they said appeared to be an accident. Alberto Martinez Guerra, of 8629 Limestone Drive, was sitting on a chair in the driveway about 10:12 a.m. Sunday, with a 1980 Mercedes and a 1998 van parked behind him, sheriff's spokeswoman Debbie Carter said. A 72-year-old man who also lives there, Lionel Ortega Gomez, was working on the brakes of the van. Ortega-Gomez put the van in reverse, crashing into the Mercedes and pushing it into Guerra, Carter said. Rescue crews transported Guerra to St. Joseph's Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Carter said deputies were still investigating details of the incident. "Right now it just looks like a terrible tragedy," she said.

Palmetto point

Child hurt when swing set collapses

A 2-year-old Manatee County girl was in critical condition at Bayfront Medical Center on Sunday night after a swing set collapsed on top of her. The girl was with her mother at 635 43rd St. Blvd. in Palmetto Point when the swings apparently collapsed, striking her head, according to the Manatee County Department of Public Safety. Emergency workers responded to the scene about 12:40 p.m. and, determining that the girl had suffered significant head trauma, requested a helicopter. The Manatee County Sheriff's Office is investigating the incident.

Lake alfred

Reward offered in gas station deaths

A $12,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the arrest of a gunman who shot and killed two gas station workers as they were changing the gas price marquee at a BP station. On Sunday, authorities said that no arrests had been made in the late Friday shootings and they are seeking the gunman and a possible accomplice who drove a getaway car. The Polk County Sheriff's Office identified the men killed as Pravinkumar C. Patel, 33, and Dashrath Patel. They were not related to each other or to another gas station worker, Prakashkumar Patel, 34, who survived the attack. Clerk Prakashkumar Patel was closing up about 9 p.m. Friday when a gunman tried to come in. The man fired through the glass, Patel ducked under the counter, activated the store alarm and called 911, authorities said. Later, he heard two shots outside. His co-workers had been shot dead.

[Last modified December 9, 2007, 23:03:00]