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Driver Critical After Seven-Vehicle Pileup on State Road 54

SR CURLEYRD|FloridaHighwayPatrol|TrafficCrash

A Florida Highway Patrol motorcycle trooper was injured in the crash.

PASCO COUNTY – One man is in critical condition and three others were injured in a chain reaction, seven-vehicle pileup Wednesday (April 25) on State Road 54, the Florida Highway Patrol said.

William Kelley, 76, of Andover, ME, was taken to Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel in critical condition.

Highway Patrol Trooper Jeff Mason, 48, of Tampa, was airlifted to St. Joseph’s Hospital with minor injuries.

James Sweet III, 48, of Wesley Chapel, was taken to Florida Hospital with minor injuries. His passenger, Christopher Tautges, 47, of Wesley Chapel, suffered minor injuries but was not taken to a hospital.

The crash happened about 1:48 p.m. on eastbound SR 54 near Curley Road in Pasco County. Troopers said Kelley, who was driving a 2000 Cadillac Escalade, was eastbound on SR 54 when he suffered a medical emergency and lost control of his car. The Cadillac first went onto the shoulder of the road, then returned to the travel lanes where the other six vehicles were stopped for a red traffic signal at Curley Road.

The Cadillac first hit a 2011 Nissan Rogue that Sweet was driving. The Nissan was pushed into the center lane where it hit the back of of 2016 Harley Davidson motorcycle that Trooper Mason was riding. Mason was thrown from the motorcycle.

The Nissan continued moving forward and hit the rear of a 2014 Ford Focus driven by Jared Sybert, 22, of Wesley Chapel, which was in front of the FHP motorcycle. The Ford then hit the rear of a 2017 Jeep Cherokee driven by Erin Tate, 42, of Tampa.

In the meantime, the Cadillac traveled back into the outside lane, hit a 1996 Jeep Cherokee driven by Donna Hiles, 52, of Zephyrhills, and overturned.

The Jeep driven by Hiles was propelled forward into a 2010 Nissan Sentra driven by Levent Pancar, 47, of Tampa, which had been stopped in front of the Jeep.

The crash temporarily closed SR 54. All lanes were cleared and open at 6:30 p.m.

SR-54 CURLEY RD | Florida Highway Patrol | Traffic Crash

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SR-54 CURLEY RD | Florida Highway Patrol | Traffic Crash SR-54 CURLEY RD | Florida Highway Patrol | Traffic Crash

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photos courtesy of the Florida Highway Patrol.

Florida Highway Patrol | State Road 54 Crash | Traffic Crash | Tampabay News

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