Two dead after crash on State Road 70 in Manatee

Two people from Bradenton were killed in a traffic accident on State Road 70 on Tuesday afternoon, according to Florida Highway Patrol.

Charlotte Lengerer, 86, was driving a 2011 Mazda sedan when she lost control of the vehicle for an unknown reason, causing the car to hit another vehicle, travel through a red light, hit a curb and then collide with several structures.

The woman and her passenger, 87-year old Peter Lengerer, died as a result.

The incident occurred around 12:09 p.m. at the intersection of State Road 70 and 45th Street East, according to FHP.

The Mazda was traveling westbound in the right lane of State Road 70 when Lengerer steered abruptly, striking a Subaru Forester traveling directly ahead of it.

The Mazda then continued to travel at a high rate of speed through a red light at 45th Street East. The underside of the vehicle struck a curb, and the vehicle then collided with a metal light pole and a pedestrian signal support pole. The vehicle then continued moving in a northwest direction, colliding with a large traffic signal support pole. The car came to a final rest north of the traffic pole.

The driver of the Subaru was uninjured.

Multiple lanes of traffic were blocked on Tuesday afternoon as a result of the crash, according to the Sarasota Manatee Regional Traffic Management Center.

An investigation into the accident is ongoing.

This story was originally published February 12, 2019 at 1:34 PM.