Drivers in Bradenton crash taken to Manatee Memorial Hospital

BRADENTON -- Two drivers were take to Manatee Memorial Hospital after a crash Tuesday afternoon, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

At 2:28 p.m. Tuesday, troopers were dispatched to the intersection of U.S. 301 and 15th Street East in Bradenton. Manatee County Sheriff's Office units were also on scene to assist.

FHP Trooper Joshua Flow said one of the vehicles was heading north on U.S. 301 and the other was heading west on 15th Street East. He added that one of the vehicles failed to yield the right of way but declined to specify which vehicle failed to yield because it's still an ongoing investigation.

The drivers of both vehicles, a 2007 Toyota Prius and a Hyundai Sonata Sport, were single occupants, Flow said.

Asked about the severity of the drivers' injuries, Trooper Flow described them as "incapacitated" -- meaning that neither could leave the scene on their own, he said.

The front of the Hyundai Sonata Sport was damaged so severely that the different parts under the hood were exposed, including a slashed windshield washer reservoir.

The Prius had a large dent on its left side and was missing its left side door.

"They used jaws of life and what not to cut her (Prius driver) out. Apparently somebody blew the red light," said Shawn Shelton of Bradenton-based Norman's Towing, who was on scene Tuesday to help tow the vehicles away.

At the intersection, a "One Way" sign lay on the ground between two deep grooves in the grass.

No information on possible charges was immediately available.

By 3:42 p.m., both vehicles had been towed away.

Amaris Castillo, law enforcement/island reporter, can be reached at 941-745-7051. Follow her on Twitter@AmarisCastillo.

This story was originally published October 13, 2015 at 5:13 PM with the headline "Drivers in Bradenton crash taken to Manatee Memorial Hospital ."