3 men killed in early morning traffic accident

TAMPA - Three men died and another was seriously injured early Friday when the car they were riding in was broadsided by a Cadillac driven by a man with a previous drunken driving arrest.

By TIM GRANT

© St. Petersburg Times, published April 8, 2000

Two of the three who died, Troy D. Call, 24, and Brandon S. Smith, 19, were airmen at MacDill Air Force Base. The third fatality, Shawn Falla, 20, was the younger brother of Robert Falla, another serviceman riding in the car. Robert Falla, 23, was in fair condition at Tampa General Hospital late Friday.

Sheriff's investigators said the driver of the Cadillac was Joseph A. Safrany, 34, of 4949 Marbrisa Drive, No. 511. Safrany and his passenger, Rodney Stetham, 28, of 5505 Raven Court, were taken to St. Joseph's Hospital for treatment. A hospital spokesman said both men were treated for minor injuries and released.

At the time of the crash, Call was driving north on Sheldon Road about 3:15 a.m. in a 1998 Honda. As he turned left at Brennen Circle to enter the Sheldon Palms Apartment complex, his car was hit by Safrany's 1993 Cadillac, authorities say.

Traffic homicide investigator Jason Connell said the impact rolled the Honda about 140 feet.

Safrany was driving over the speed limit, and alcohol is thought to be a factor, Connell said. Still, he said, both drivers share blame for the crash. No one has been charged in the crash, but the investigation is continuing.

"There are several factors aside from the simple left turn and the speeding," Connell said. "The Honda did turn into the path of the oncoming vehicle."

A blood-alcohol sample was taken from Safrany, but the results are not in yet.

Hillsborough traffic court records show Safrany was charged in February 1996 with driving under the influence and driving with a suspended or revoked license. He pleaded guilty to driving with a suspended license charge and no contest to DUI. Formal adjudication of guilt was withheld, and he paid $243 in fines and court costs.

Also in 1996, Safrany pleaded no contest and was sentenced to three years' probation on a cocaine possession charge. He later received probation and community control for violating the terms of his original probation. In 1994, he was sentenced to six months' probation after pleading no contest to a disorderly conduct charge.

In 1997, Safrany paid $502 in fines and court costs for driving with a suspended or revoked license, records show.

Commanding officers at MacDill would not release photographs of the three servicemen or any personal information about them. All that is known about the airmen is that they were all assigned to the 6th Transportation Squadron, which has about 140 soldiers.

"It is a very close-knit type of family, and it's having a ripple effect in the squadron," said Capt. Darren Berry, public-affairs officer at MacDill. "It's a great squadron with great people, and it's affected everyone."

- Staff writers Richard Danielson and Graham Brink contributed to this report.

© St. Petersburg Times. All rights reserved.