SARASOTA- Florida highway Patrol says it’s estimated that the driver was going 120 mph around the 30 mph curve when they crashed into a pole and tragically lost their life.
“The speed limit is 30. There’s a reason for that speed limit to be so low,” said Lt. Gregory Bueno of the Florida Highway Patrol.
The driver, deceased on scene, and the passenger were both 23 years old.
According to Florida Highway Patrol the male passenger is still in the hospital with critical injuries.
Ryan Bradberry and his family rented an apartment right across the street from where the accident took place.
“I woke up at about 5 in the morning and heard some noise outside. When I walked out into the main area in the living room it was a lot of blue flashing lights. Kind of weird that it would happen directly out in front of us, but the first part is kind of like shock and horror,” said Bradberry.
A family member of Bradberry’s told SNN a neighbor said they heard what sounded like lightning, and someone shouting for help a few minutes before police arrived.
“I didn’t realize that the coroner was actually at the scene until I kind of digested what was in front of me. So, it’s a shame,” said Bradberry.
After failing to use the seat belt, the driver was ejected from the car
“The driver was unrestrained. Laws of gravity come into play when a vehicle overturns if you’re not buckled up. The driver was ejected from the vehicle and tragically lost his life,” said Bueno.
It’s unknown if drugs or alcohol were involved, but a toxicology test will be performed on the driver post mortem.
The crash remains under investigation.
We will keep you updated as we learn more.