PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — A speeding St. Petersburg Police officer crashed into a teenager’s car in June, totaling two vehicles and sending three people to the hospital.
Now, the I-Team has learned that even though the accident report blames the officer, the city has refused to pay for the damage to the teen’s vehicle.
“It was scary; it was a very traumatizing moment,” Bella Bankston said as she recalled a car crash on June 20.
Bankston only drove her black 2021 Hyundai Sonata for about a week before it was totaled. But she worked hard for years to get it.
“I got it for graduating a year early. My mom and my grandfather got it for me,” Bankston said.
Officer was in the wrong lane, speeding, and didn’t activate the emergency lights
Bella was headed to her father’s house to meet him for dinner on the day of the crash. Her 16-year-old sister Shatalia Bankston was also in the car.
“As I was making a left turn, the police hit me,” Bella said.
According to a police report, the officer was driving in the wrong lane of a two-lane road in the same direction Bella’s car was traveling. He was also speeding and did not activate his emergency lights, dashboard camera, or siren.
“We found out in the report that he was going 55 in a 30,” Bella said.
Bella called her mother, Susan Strahsmeir, who rushed to the scene.
“I took some pictures. I walked around. One of the officers actually told me they were sorry,” Stahsmeir said.
In her pictures and videos, it shows how the Hyundai was knocked at least 30 feet from the point of impact and crashed into a tree.
“The side airbags came out, and the airbags up there,” Bella said, pointing at the interior of her damaged car. “And then when we hit the tree, the ones down there came out.”
After the initial impact, the police car plowed into a much larger tree.
The report said Officer Bryan Rentas-Pina was not wearing a seatbelt. He and both girls were rushed by ambulance to area hospitals.
“I got down to the hospital. An officer met me down there. He gave me the crash report. And he told me don’t worry about a thing. The city of St. Petersburg is self-insured and that they would make sure everything was OK,” said Strahsmeir.
She said things initially appeared to be going in the right direction.
“They gave me a claim number. They gave me an adjuster through risk management,” Strahsmeir said.
“They told me they weren’t gonna take responsibility.”
Weeks later, she said the adjuster stopped returning calls, then told her they determined Bella was at fault.
“My daughter did not get a citation. She didn’t do anything wrong. They just don’t want to take up responsibility,” she said. “They told me they weren’t gonna take responsibility.”
The car, valued at $22,000 just a few months ago, now sits useless in the driveway. Susan has hired an attorney.
When the I-Team inquired about the case, a St. Peterburg city spokesperson emailed saying, “This claim still has an active status, and the City of St. Petersburg does not comment on pending claims. “
A police spokesperson said Officer Rentas-Pina has not returned to work due to his injuries, and his supervisors are reviewing the crash to determine if he will face discipline.
Strahsmeir said the crash has put extra stress on her family.
“I have a house to take care of, four kids, a business,” she said.
Bella works at a nursing home and is scheduled to begin college soon. She worries she might not be able to make it if her ride is not replaced soon.
The officer has a history of speeding.
The I-Team reviewed Officer Rentas-Pina’s personnel file and discovered he previously received verbal counseling for going over 80 miles per hour.
He was cited in a review for exceeding the speed limit by 15 miles per hour responding to low-priority calls and had a previous crash while on duty, but it was described in the report as unavoidable.
If you have a story you think the I-Team should investigate, email the I-Team at adam@abcactionnews.com
