Bradenton woman killed in crash on U.S. 301, FHP says. Highway reopened Tuesday afternoon

A Bradenton woman was killed and others were seriously injured in a crash on U.S. 301 in Manatee County on Tuesday, forcing multiple and lengthy closures of the southbound lanes.

At one point, authorities closed the highway altogether.

The crash happened just before 10 a.m. north of the road’s intersection with 63rd Avenue East, according to Florida Highway Patrol.

A 38-year-old Sarasota man traveling southbound on U.S. 301 in a Ford van failed to stop as he approached traffic that had come to a standstill due to congestion, troopers say.

The van hit the rear of a Chevrolet pickup truck in the inside travel lane and caused a chain of collisions.

The pickup truck struck a Toyata four-door vehicle located in front of it; the Toyata struck a Ford Mustang in front of it; and the Ford struck a Dodge Ram in front of it.

There were five vehicles involved in total.

The driver of the the Chevrolet, 40-year-old Rosalinda Santana, died at the scene as a result of her injuries. Her passenger, a 44-year-old Bradenton woman, sustained serious injuries and was transported to Blake Medical Center for treatment..

The driver of the Toyota, a 35-year-old woman from St. Petersburg, also sustained serious injuries and was also transported to Blake.

The other thee drivers involved in the crash had minor injuries, according to FHP.

The driver of the Ford van was issued a citation for careless driving.

A post on social media noted that one of the vehicles was “mangled” in the accident.

Anyone with information about the accident can contact Florida Highway Patrol at 239-938-1800 or by dialing *347 on a cellular device.

This story was originally published December 10, 2019 at 10:17 AM.