MANATEE — One of two drivers airlifted to a St. Petersburg hospital has been cited in a rear-end collision Thursday morning that set off a violent collision with a tractor-trailer holding a massive concrete power pole.
At about 9:45 a.m., witnesses said the driver of a Buick Century slowed to turn left into a pawn shop from 15th Street East, just north of 63rd Avenue.
When the Buick slowed, the driver of a sport utility vehicle plowed into the back of the car, according to Florida Highway Patrol Lt. Chris Miller.
The collision sent the Buick careening into a stopped tractor-trailer on the shoulder of 15th Street, which held the power pole that a contracting crew was in the process of installing. The crash ripped the top of the car off, leaving its driver in critical condition. Emergency personnel airlifted him to Bayfront Medical Center in St. Petersburg.
“All we heard was tires screeching, then it sounded like an atomic bomb went off,” said Pawn & Auto Pros owner Robin Jewitt.
Jewitt believes the 55-year-old driver of the Buick was turning into her shop when the SUV plowed into him.
“He comes in here every Thursday without fail. It’s a shame, he is really nice guy,” Jewitt said.
Roger C. Nyberg, the 68-year-old driver of the SUV, also lost control after the collision and the vehicle spun into a ditch. He also was airlifted with serious injuries.
He has been cited on a charge of careless driving, according to Miller. Witnesses told troopers at the scene that Nyberg appeared to have been speeding.
“It does appear that speed is a factor in this crash,” Miller said.
The crash closed 15th Street East, from 61st Avenue East to 63rd Avenue East, for almost two hours as cleanup crews cleared the crash.
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