A bus full of college baseball players was traveling from Minnesota to Florida to play in a baseball tournament when the bus was involved in a St. Petersburg crash with a car. This collision took place just after 8:00 a.m. Wednesday, March 20, 2013.
According to St. Petersburg police, the bus was in the center lane of 34th Street South (U.S. 19) and traveling north, approaching 22nd Avenue South, when the crash occurred. A video from a red-light camera captured the accident, which revealed that the bus driver ran a red light and struck a car.
The two people in the car were injured and hospitalized. Virginia Joyce Frazier, 74, was driving the white Buick that was struck, and her passenger, 48-year-old Eduardo Arana, both of Clearwater, were taken to Bayfront Medical Center in critical condition. According to police, Frazier was heading southbound and turned left onto 22nd Avenue South in front of the bus. Police were told that Frazier “coded” and died, but the hospital brought her back to life. Unfortunately, the medical staff does not expect her to survive her injuries; however, they do expect her passenger to survive.
David Scott Watkins, 33, was identified as the bus driver driving a Hartland Tour Bus. He was transporting 41 people with Rochester Community and Technical College in Minnesota to a baseball tournament when this crash occurred.
The intersection was just west of Interstate 275, and it remained closed for several hours following the accident. The Buick was transporting a cocker spaniel that was injured during the crash and was taken to the SPCA for treatment.
The crash is still under investigation at this time.
Mallard Perez would like to extend best wishes for full and fast recoveries to those injured in this crash.
