CLEARWATER, Fla. — A crash between a pickup truck and a tractor-trailer, potentially involving alcohol, left one person dead and another person hospitalized on Sunday morning, according to a news release.
Clearwater Police and Clearwater Fire and Rescue responded to the crash just after 1:30 a.m. on Gulf Boulevard near the Sheraton Sand Key Hotel.
The tractor-trailer was reportedly backing into the driveway of the hotel when a Ford F-150 driving northbound slammed into it. Authorities believe both high speed and alcohol played a role in this crash.
According to police, the crash tore the roof off the truck and it got lodged under the trailer.
Fire crews were able to find two men inside the vehicle and take them out. The passenger, 41-year-old Mark Harris of Valrico, died at the scene. The driver, a 36-year-old man from Clearwater, is in critical condition at Bayfront Health St. Petersburg.
The crash reportedly shut down roads in the area for several hours but reopened at around 8:30 a.m.