Deputy, firefighter, others hurt in crash

By Times staff writer

© St. Petersburg Times, published March 19, 2001

SEMINOLE -- A Pinellas County deputy, an off-duty Seminole firefighter and three others were injured in a four-car accident Sunday night.

Deputy Roy Swiech was westbound on Park Boulevard N at 7:44 p.m. when his cruiser was clipped by a 1993 Jeep heading east and trying to make a left turn.

Swiech had his emergency lights on, without the siren, and was trying to pull over a pickup for a traffic-related stop, said sheriff's spokesman Cal Dennie.

The collision caused the sheriff's cruiser to rotate counterclockwise and hit a 1997 Mercury minivan driven by Shannon Bushe, 26, of Seminole. The cruiser then hit a 1979 Toyota Corolla driven by Santina Gordon, 35, of Largo.

All four cars ended up at the northwest corner of Park Boulevard and 113th Street N.

Swiech had to be extricated from the cruiser and was in stable condition at Bayfront Medical Center, said acting Lt. David Hudak of Seminole Fire and Rescue.

The Jeep's driver, Joseph Tapp, 19, of Madiera Beach, also was in stable condition at Bayfront.

Bushe, his wife and their infant were driven to Largo Medical Center, where they were in stable condition late Sunday. Bushe is a firefighter with Station 29, which responded to the accident.

Dennie said Tapp smelled of alcohol and refused to take a breath test at the scene.

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