Crash causes five-car pileup on Gulf-to-Bay

CLEARWATER -- A woman was seriously injured in a five-car chain-reaction crash near Clearwater High School Friday afternoon.

The crash occurred about 12:24 p.m. in the 2000 block of Gulf-to-Bay Boulevard when Clearwater resident Traci Johnson, 35, ran her 1980s Chevy Celebrity into the rear of a Buick that was stopped in traffic, police said.

"That caused a chain reaction," police spokesman Wayne Shelor said.

Johnson, who was not wearing a seat belt, suffered head and chest injuries. She was taken by helicopter to Bayfront Medical Center, where she was treated for injuries not considered life-threatening, Shelor said. She was in fair condition Friday night.

The driver of the Buick she hit, James Evans, 63, of Belleair, suffered minor injuries.

Motorists and passengers in the other three vehicles that were involved were not injured.

An investigation was ongoing Friday and no charges had been filed.

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