Child in critical condition after wrong-way crash in Manatee County, troopers say

A child was left in critical condition and three adults seriously injured after a crash in Manatee County on Thursday, according to Florida Highway Patrol.

The accident happened around 2:30 p.m. on U.S. 41 near 35th Street West, just north of Palmetto, according to FHP.

An 18-year-old Bradenton woman was driving a sedan southbound on U.S. 41 when she crossed over a grass median and into the northbound lanes of traffic, troopers say.

Her car collided head on with a Hyundai SUV that was carrying a 36-year-old Sarasota woman and a male juvenile. The SUV then rotated and collided with a third car, a Cadillac sedan carrying a 34-year-old woman from Palmetto.

The child, whose age was not disclosed, was listed as a trauma alert and transported to Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg for care. Troopers say that the juvenile was not wearing a seatbelt or a child restraint.

All three drivers sustained serious injuries in the crash, according to FHP, and the Sarasota woman was transported to Blake Medical Center for care.