Two men lost their lives and an officer with the Palatka Police sustained injuries in a crash that took place in Putnam County on Friday, August 28. The incident occurred at night and was reported to the authorities around 11:00 p.m.
According to the details shared by the Florida Highway Patrol, the incident occurred on the U.S. 17, locally the Reid Street. A Palatka Police vehicle was traveling eastbound on the road. A pickup truck crossed right in front of the police cruiser at the intersection of the 14th Street South. That is when the two vehicles collided.
The police cruiser hit the driver’s side of the pickup. The sheer impact of the collision caused the truck to flip. The patrol car also sustained damage in the collision and hit a nearby store building after veering away from the accident site.
The pickup truck had three occupants in it at the time of the collision. The driver was identified as a 56-year-old person while the age of the two passengers was confirmed as 47 and 19. The driver and the passenger aged 47 were killed in the collision. The third passenger sustained critical injuries and was rushed to a local hospital once the paramedics and first responders reached the site of the crash. Preliminary findings show that neither of the occupants was wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash.
The police officer who was driving the patrol vehicle also sustained serious injuries. He was transported to a local hospital. Like the pickup occupants, the officer was also not wearing a seatbelt at the time.
FHP has not released the names of any of the victims involved in the crash. Investigations conducted so far show that the crash occurred when the pickup truck failed to yield to the patrol vehicle.
If you’re involved in a wreck, contact our Florida car accident attorneys right away.
Source: https://www.news4jax.com/news/local/2020/08/29/police-officer-hurt-in-fatal-palatka-crash/
