A routine yesterday morning in Seminole took a frightening turn when a 74-year-old man trying to move a turtle out of the road was hit by a pickup truck and left critically injured.
The man, later identified as Charles McFall, had stepped into the roadway to relocate the turtle when he was struck and thrown to the pavement. He was taken by medical crews to a local hospital, where he was listed in life-threatening but stable condition.
The crash occurred around 8:44 a.m. as a 2010 Toyota Tacoma driven by 37-year-old Jake Gauthier headed west on 80th Avenue North and hit McFall in the 11201 block, according to the Tampa Free Press. Gauthier was not injured and stayed at the scene while first responders treated McFall.
MAIT Leads the Probe
The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office Major Accident Investigation Team is handling the case, according to the agency’s news page. MAIT is the specialized unit that reconstructs serious crashes and works to determine what factors contributed to collisions.
How to Help a Turtle Safely
Wildlife experts consistently stress that human safety comes first. When it is safe to assist, people should move a turtle in the direction it was already traveling rather than sending it back where it came from, according to Popular Science. If a turtle appears injured, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s Wildlife Alert hotline at 888-404-FWCC (888-404-3922) can provide guidance and reporting options. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission also maintains resources for injured or endangered wildlife.
The investigation remains active, and deputies told the Tampa Free Press that early indications do not suggest speed or impairment as factors in the crash. Anyone with information or video related to the incident is asked to contact the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office as investigators continue working to determine exactly what happened.
