A chain-reaction crash involving ten vehicles tore through a stretch of Largo on Wednesday morning, sending four people to the hospital and shutting down the northbound lanes of 66th Street North just south of Ulmerton Road. One of those hospitalized suffered life-threatening injuries, while two others sustained serious bodily injuries.
The Largo Police Department responded to the crash in the 13000 block of 66th Street North shortly before 7:45 a.m., according to iontb.com. Four people were taken to area hospitals, and officials say three of them suffered serious bodily injuries, including the one person whose injuries are considered life-threatening. Six other people involved in the pileup refused medical treatment at the scene.
As Tampa Bay 28 reported, police officials confirmed the ten vehicles were sent tumbling into one another just south of Ulmerton Road, one of Pinellas County's busiest east-west corridors. The crash forced the closure of the northbound lanes of 66th Street North, which were expected to remain shut for a portion of Wednesday while investigators worked the scene.
Road Closures and Detours Snarl Morning Commute
Drivers heading north on 66th Street North found themselves rerouted at 126th Avenue North as crews cleared wreckage and investigators documented the scene. The same account notes that police asked motorists to avoid the area entirely if possible, as the closure was expected to stretch through part of the day.
Traffic investigators with the Largo Police Department were still working Wednesday to determine what caused the ten-vehicle collision. The department's traffic unit has not yet released a cause, and the crash investigation remains active and ongoing.
No Signs of Impairment, Police Say — But Questions Remain
Preliminary information from investigators indicated there were no signs of impairment in the crash, though that assessment could shift as the investigation continues. Some witnesses told the outlet that a northbound pickup truck traveling at high speed struck multiple vehicles before the pileup unfolded, but police have not yet confirmed those details.
With three people seriously hurt and one still facing life-threatening injuries, the human toll of Wednesday's crash looms largest over a stretch of road that will likely reopen well before investigators finish piecing together exactly what happened.
