A deadly crash brought traffic in north St. Petersburg to a grinding halt today, shutting down the busy intersection of 38th Avenue North and 66th Street North in every direction and choking off one of the city’s main east-west routes during peak drive time.
St. Petersburg police said the intersection was closed "in all directions" while traffic homicide investigators worked the scene and warned drivers to brace for long delays that could stretch for hours.
Expect travel delays in the area of 38th Ave. North and 66th St. North for several hours. The intersection is closed in all directions due to a fatal traffic crash. #StPetePD traffic homicide officers are on scene, conducting an investigation. Please seek alternate routes for now pic.twitter.com/P4dgmf7Iea
— St. Pete Police (@StPetePD) March 17, 2026
In an alert posted on X, St. Pete Police told motorists to avoid the area altogether while investigators examined the crash scene and collected evidence. The initial update did not include information about how many vehicles were involved, who was killed or injured, or what might have caused the collision.
Crash-prone corner already on safety watch list
The intersection of 66th Street and 38th Avenue has been on the city’s radar for years as one of those trouble spots everyone complains about, and the data backs it up. The corridor is included in a state-funded “smart signal corridors” project meant to improve safety and traffic flow along key St. Pete routes, with officers regularly running enforcement details there. ABC Action News has reported that the stretch has seen repeated crashes and citations, and planners have flagged it as a priority.
Historic crash records compiled by county transportation planners also underline the risk. Data from Forward Pinellas show prior serious and fatal crashes along 38th Avenue that helped push the junction higher on the list for safety upgrades and closer monitoring.
Traffic headaches and what drivers should do
Drivers in north St. Pete felt the ripple effects almost immediately, as traffic spilled onto surrounding side streets and feeder roads while officers blocked the intersection and diverted cars away. Police warned that the closure could last "several hours," which for regulars on 66th and 38th sounds like an eternity.
St. Pete Police urged motorists to take alternate routes, although no formal detours were listed in the initial alert. Commuters using buses or ride-hailing services were advised to pad their travel time and expect re-routed trips until the scene is cleared and normal patterns return.
As of the department’s most recent update, investigators with the traffic homicide unit remained on scene, and officials had not released the names of any victims or a suspected cause of the crash. No estimated reopening time for the intersection had been given. This story will be updated as the St. Petersburg Police Department releases more details.
