2 die in crash on U.S. 301 in Bradenton

MANATEE -- Two men in a car were killed about 2:50 a.m. Wednesday when the driver ran a red light and crashed into the side of a tractor-trailer on U.S. 301 in Bradenton, according to Florida Highway Patrol.

An Infiniti RX35 driven by Kenneth Jackson, 29, Palmetto, was northbound on U.S. 301 approaching the intersection at 63rd Avenue East. Jackson passed a witness, entered the intersection without stopping for a red light and hit a tractor-trailer pulling tandem trailers turning left from southbound U.S. 301 onto 63rd Avenue East, according to the news release.

The Infiniti reportedly struck the right side of the first trailer, went underneath the trailer and traveled through the center median and entered the southbound lanes. The Infiniti left the roadway onto the west shoulder of southbound U.S. 301 and came to rest on the west shoulder facing northwest.

The tractor-trailer came to a stop on eastbound 63rd Avenue East.

Jackson and his passenger, Daniel Carter, 25, of Sarasota, were pronounced dead at the scene.

The truck driver, a 62-year-old Georgia man, was uninjured.

FHP is awaiting test results on Jackson to determine whether he had been drinking.

U.S. 301 traffic was blocked about five hours as troopers investigated until reopening about 7:45 a.m.

Detouring motorists clogged other roadways such as 15th Street East during morning rush hour.

This story was originally published February 3, 2016 at 11:04 PM with the headline "2 die in crash on U.S. 301 in Bradenton ."