Sarasota County

May 8, 2025

News: Man, 36, dead after box truck rollover wreck in North Venice

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

NORTH VENICE, FL – A 36-year-old man from Hollywood lost his life after a box truck rollover collision on the I-75 North off-ramp connecting to Laurel Road Monday.

Florida Highway Patrol told Fox 13 News that the box truck rollover collision happened after the truck driver had lost control of the vehicle, veered off the road, and slammed into the traffic sign. The force of the collision caused the truck to flip over.

FHP said the Hollywood man, the box truck passenger, succumbed to his injuries at the scene, while the driver sustained minor injuries. The driver was identified as a 26-year-old Opa Locka man. Troopers did not say if they cited the motorist or confirm why he lost control of the truck.

April 9, 2025

News: Big rig overturns in Sarasota Co, prompting I-75 lane closures

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

SARASOTA COUNTY, FL – A big rig crashed and overturned in a grassy area, prompting fire crews and first responders to close some I-75 lanes on Friday, April 4.

My Sun Coast said the collision happened near University Parkway. Temporary traffic delays were seen in the area as crews worked to clear the scene.

Officials are working to determine the exact cause of the crash. No other details, including reports of injuries, have been added.

March 28, 2025

News: Woman, 38, fatally struck by pickup truck in Englewood

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

ENGLEWOOD, FL – A 38-year-old Rotonda West woman lost her life after walking across South Indiana Avenue and getting hit by a pickup truck Monday.

My SunCoast said that the collision happened after 10:30 p.m. south of Cowles Street. Preliminary details suggest the truck driver was going north on Indiana when they struck the woman.

Authorities confirm that the pedestrian succumbed to her injuries at the scene. It is unclear if she was using a crosswalk at the time of the wreck or if the driver is expected to face criminal charges.

March 6, 2025

News: Speeding ends in injury rear-end truck wreck in North Port

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

NORTH PORT, FL – A driver operating a crane truck failed to reduce their speed just prior to striking another big rig Wednesday, leaving at least one person injured.

The collision happened before 11 a.m. on I-75 South and caused hydraulic oil to spill from one of the trucks, according to WINK News.

Florida Highway Patrol said the crane driver was going up a hill and had a clear view of the 18-wheeler with hazard lights on just before the incident. Upon impact, the crane truck overturned.

February 5, 2025

News: Sarasota Co. deputies investigate injury crash in Southgate

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

SARASOTA, FL – Sarasota County deputies are investigating the circumstances behind a crash with injuries in the Southgate area that happened Wednesday afternoon.

Deputies were dispatched to the intersection of Webber Street and Beneva Road and arrived at 12:30 p.m. At least one person was injured in the collision. The extent of injuries and the exact cause of the accident has not been disclosed.

Additional information, including the number of people and vehicles involved, will be provided as our newsroom learns more.

January 24, 2025

News: Injury crash with school bus reported in Sarasota

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

SARASOTA, FL – Two drivers sustained minor wounds in a multi-vehicle collision involving a school bus along TPC Prestancia Friday morning.

This crash happened after 7 a.m. at the intersection of Beneva Road and Sarasota Square Boulevard, ABC Action News reports. Preliminary details reveal that the events unfolded when a Honda Civic and a Ford Escape crashed. The impact propelled the Honda to move forward and hit the bus as a result.

The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office did not specify which motorists were hurt. They did confirm, however, that the 15 students on the bus were spared from injuries.

December 13, 2024

News: Vehicle overturns, cooking oil spills on I-75 after truck crash

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

SARASOTA, FL – A semi-truck collided with another vehicle on I-75, causing the other automobile to overturn on its side and cooking oil from the truck to spill on the road Friday.

ABC Action News said the impact of this wreck, which occurred north of Fruitville Road, also caused the semi-truck to jackknife and prompted crews to shut down the majority of northbound lanes, except for one to accommodate the scene clearance procedure.

Officials have not yet confirmed the exact cause of this collision, but a significant number of debris was left over from the crash. At this time, no reopening of lanes has been announced, nor reports of injuries or hospitalizations.

December 3, 2024

News: 2 killed in fiery collision in Venice

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

VENICE, FL – A driver and passenger succumbed to fatal wounds after their vehicle caught on fire after crossing SR-777 South and hitting another vehicle on River Road North Tuesday.

Once the vehicles made contact, the struck automobile then overturned, and that driver suffered serious injuries, ABC Action News reports. Immediately following the crash, the surviving motorist was rushed to a nearby hospital.

The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office and the Florida Highway Patrol were summoned to the scene, although FHP will be taking the lead on this investigation.

October 21, 2024

News: Helene, Milton cause $884 million in damages in Sarasota, Manatee Counties

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

SARASOTA AND MANATEE COUNTY, FL – Sarasota and Manatee County officials estimate that Hurricane Helene and Milton caused around $884 million in structural damages.

Sarasota County authorities told the Herald-Turbine they speculate that the aftermath of Helene led to $337.7 million in damages, with Milton racking up $306 million in damages, tallying up a total of nearly $634 million. Manatee County officials said they believe that damages from Milton resulted in over $250 million but did not specify if that included Helene as well. The only cities within Manatee County that don’t currently have damage report numbers are Bradenton, Palmetto, and the three cities on Anna Maria Island: Anna Maria, Bradenton Beach, and Holmes Beach.

Both counties, however, are not off the hook yet. All counties in the state of Florida, which include Manatee and Sarasota counties, are expected to see “between $17 billion and $28 billion” in wind and flood losses from Milton, and uninsured property losses are anticipated to only increase “between $21 billion and $34 billion,” according to data from CoreLogic.

October 4, 2024

News: Two vehicles collide in North Port, claiming one life

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

NORTH PORT, FL – At least one person lost their life in a two-vehicle crash on I-75 near River Road Monday, YourSun reports.

Florida Highway Patrol shut down I-75 South between Jacaranda Boulevard and River Road for their investigation and for the crews’ scene clearance process.

FHP has not stated the age and gender of the deceased person nor disclosed the events that led to this crash.