A late-night head-on collision on 18th Avenue South in St. Petersburg early Sunday left one person dead and two others fighting for their lives. Emergency crews rushed to the scene around 1:15 a.m., shutting down the corridor while officers picked through the wreckage. Investigators say it all started when a westbound car crossed the median and slammed into an eastbound vehicle, triggering a chain-reaction crash.
According to Tampa Free Press, the westbound Mercedes was driven by 43-year-old Cleveland Sanders, who crossed the median near 29th Street South and hit a black Nissan driven by 27-year-old Clifford Washington. Front-seat passenger Dy'Jean Roberts, 26, was rushed to Orlando Health Bayfront and later died from her injuries. A third vehicle, an Oldsmobile driven by 50-year-old Terrell Burney, then hit the already-damaged Nissan.
How The Crash Unfolded
Police told reporters that both Sanders and Washington suffered critical injuries. After initial treatment at Bayfront, the two men were airlifted to Tampa General Hospital with life-threatening wounds, Tampa Bay 28 reported. Burney was evaluated at the scene and released. Investigators say they still do not know why the Mercedes crossed the median, and the St. Petersburg Police Department has labeled the case an active multi-vehicle investigation.
Crash Corridor Has Long Safety Worries
18th Avenue South has already been on the city’s radar for safety upgrades. Local officials and planners have been exploring "complete streets" changes that would slow traffic and add sidewalks and bike facilities along the corridor, according to Healthy St. Pete. Residents and planners have said the four-lane stretch often feels like a speedway, and a study to redesign the road was put forward by Forward Pinellas after community feedback. City leaders have cautioned that projects like this take time, and they will not prevent every crash while studies and design work are still underway.
The St. Petersburg Police Department is asking anyone who witnessed the crash or has dash-cam footage to contact investigators, and the agency has not released any information on possible charges or impairment involving the Mercedes driver, Tampa Free Press noted. For families and neighbors, the wreck is the latest in a series of serious collisions that has renewed calls for faster safety fixes on 18th Avenue South. Police say their probe remains active and that more details are expected as evidence is processed.
