The suicide caused a three-car crash. Police said no one else was seriously injured.

ST. PETERSBURG – A Largo man shot himself while driving early Sunday (Aug. 14), causing his car to veer into the path of two other cars.

Leonard de la Garza, Jr., 57, of Largo, was dead at the scene, St. Petersburg police said.

Police said the Florida Highway Patrol was called to the scene of a three-car traffic crash on northbound I-275 just north of the 54th Avenue N exit. They found one of the drivers dead of a gunshot wound and called the St. Petersburg police about 3:30 a.m. A police investigation indicated that Mr. de la Garza had committed suicide with a handgun while driving northbound on I-275.
The driver’s actions caused his car to swerve into the path of two other northbound cars, officers said. No one else involved in the accident received any serious injuries.

For information about the St. Petersburg police, go to police.stpete.org.

St. Petersburg Police | Traffic Crash | Leonard de la Garza Jr. | TB Reporter

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