37-year-old man from Alachua dies in accident in South Venice

Editor's note: This story first appeared in Venice Gondoliere and is republished here with permission.

SOUTH VENICE – Two people were killed and a third seriously injured in a crash Sunday afternoon at U.S. 41/Tamiami Trail and East Seminole Drive in South Venice.

Among the dead are a 37-year-old woman from San Antonio, Florida, and a 37-year-old man from Alachua. Another 23-year-old man from Gainesville was seriously injured.

All three were in a sedan. The woman was the driver, the man from Alachua was in the passenger seat.

According to a Florida Highway Patrol report, the woman was driving the sedan north on U.S. 41/Tamiami Trail at about 1:20 p.m. Sunday. At the same time, an 80-year-old Venice man was driving an SUV east on Seminole Drive.

“The investigation is ongoing to determine which vehicle entered the intersection when the light was green,” the report states, adding that both vehicles “entered the intersection at the same time.”

The SUV struck the left side of the sedan. The sedan then struck a traffic control box, a control pole and a sign, the FHP report states.

The driver of the sedan was wearing a seatbelt, but the front passenger and the passenger in the back seat were not.

The driver of the SUV and his passenger, an 80-year-old woman from Venice, suffered minor injuries. They were wearing seat belts, it was said.

The woman from San Antonio and the man from Alachua were pronounced dead at the scene. The man from Gainesville was taken to a nearby hospital.

During the initial investigation, parts of the road were closed for most of Sunday afternoon and evening.

The Sarasota County Sheriff's Office is assisting the Florida Highway Patrol in the investigation.

The investigation is still ongoing.