Charges filed in crash that shut down major Bradenton-Palmetto link

A crash involving four vehicles shut down one of the major links between Bradenton and Palmetto on Monday, forcing motorists on the southbound span of the Green Bridge to use a detour.

Bradenton police were able to reopen Ninth Street West — between Third Avenue West, near ArtCenter Manatee and the Hampton Inn & Suites hotel, and Manatee Avenue West — shortly after 2 p.m. For nearly an hour, traffic was being diverted into downtown Bradenton, causing delays on the Green Bridge.

Meagan Carmean, 27, was heading southbound on Ninth Street West when she failed to stop and lost control of a red, four-door Nissan as she passed Fourth Avenue West, according to Lt. Brian Thiers. She continued south, clipping a box truck, hitting a van and then hitting an SUV.

Carmean was initially unresponsive, Thiers said.

“Currently she is being charged with battery on a paramedic because she assaulted one of the paramedics that was trying to help her,” Thiers said.

Carmean was being taken by ambulance to Manatee Memorial Hospital so that she could be medically cleared before being booked. Detective Lixa Moyett was seen escorting Carmean to the ambulance, as she was barely able to walk on her own.

“At this time we don’t know if drugs or alcohol, or what may be a factor in this, but that’s what we are working to figure out,” Thiers said.

There were no other injuries in the crash that left the front-end of the Nissan sedan that Carmean was driving crushed.

Carmean could still face additional charges.

This story was originally published January 22, 2018 at 1:39 PM with the headline "Charges filed in crash that shut down major Bradenton-Palmetto link."