One dead, two injured in car crash

A 31-year-old woman dies and her 5-year-old passenger is injured after being hit head-on by a pickup truck.

By CARY DAVIS

© St. Petersburg Times, published August 3, 2000

ZEPHYRHILLS -- A Zephyrhills woman was killed and her 5-year-old passenger was critically injured Wednesday morning when her Jeep Cherokee was struck head-on by an out-of-control pickup truck, the Florida Highway Patrol reported.

The crash occurred at 6:45 a.m. as Michelle Diane Raines drove south on Morris Bridge Road, on her way to drop off a friend's son at a day care center before reporting for work at Busch Gardens, FHP reported.

Maurice Harris, heading north at the same time in his 1988 Toyota pickup, failed to negotiate a curve near Mandrake Road, overcorrected and veered across the center line, said FHP Cpl. Les Douberley. Raines was unable to avoid the head-on collision, Douberley said.

Raines, 31, of 6053 20th St., was pronounced dead an hour later at East Pasco Medical Center. The 5-year-old boy in the Jeep with her, Keifer Sullivan, and Harris, 27, were flown to St. Joseph's Hospital in Tampa in critical condition.

Keifer and Harris were both expected to survive, Douberley said. Raines and Keifer were wearing seat belts; Harris was not.

Harris was at fault in the accident, FHP reported, but as of late Wednesday he had not been charged. Troopers were still investigating the crash. Douberley said blood samples were drawn from Harris at the scene.

Raines was a zoo education supervisor at Busch Gardens and had worked at the park for eight years. She was a popular employee, a park spokesman said, and co-workers struggled Wednesday to cope with her death.

"It's a very sad day for the park and a tragic day for her family," said Gerard Hoeppner, director of public relations at Busch Gardens. "She was instrumental to the success of a number of zoo educations programs.

"She was very talented and was very well-liked by her co-workers." Her husband, Morris Raines, said the couple began dating 15 years ago when they were students at Zephyrhills High School. They married in 1997, he said.

"She loved her job and she loved kids," Morris Raines said. "We were just talking the other day about having kids."

Then, after a long pause, he added: "If it weren't for her, I wouldn't have anything. If you are married, make sure you kiss your wife good-bye every morning."

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