ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — A 70-year-old woman was killed Wednesday after St. Pete Police say a 19-year-old driver hit a car, sped off, drove 10 blocks, then hit a second car and plowed into a pedestrian.
The pedestrian, Margaret Waller, was in the crosswalk and had a green light when she was hit.
St. Pete Police say Anthony Seafus was speeding when he ran a red light at Central and 58th Street. He now faces charges of leaving the scene of a crash and vehicular homicide.
Officers say Seafus was driving a Mercedes sedan on Central when he hit a vehicle at 49th Street. Investigators say he sped off from that crash scene, ran a stop light at 58th Street then crashed into a Hyundai Sonata.
Police say Seafus then hit Waller while she tried to cross Central Avenue in the crosswalk. She died at the scene.
The crash happened around 4 p.m. Wednesday. Central Avenue near 58th Street was closed for nearly seven hours after the crash.
St. Pete Police are unsure why Seafus fled the first crash scene. ABC Action News checked Seafus' driving record and only found two violations (prior to Wednesday's crash) for careless driving in December of 2018 and unlawful speed in March of 2019.
Nearby business owners tell ABC Action News they have seen a lot of crashes at the intersection and at nearby 1st Avenue N. and S., which are adjacent one way streets.
St. Pete does have a plan in the works to make Central Avenue safer. The project, called the West Central Avenue Streetscape, will target the area from 58th Street to Park Street. The city plans to reconstruct curbs, sidewalks and driveways, update four crosswalks and add a bike lane.
The crosswalk where Waller was hit is slated for improvements. St. Pete leaders tell ABC Action News the project is in the final design stages and construction should begin in early 2020.
