MANTEE COUNTY – Florida Highway Patrol reported a fatal traffic accident involving four vehicles Friday evening.
The accident happened as 46 year old Tracey Crow of Cape Coral was eastbound on County Road 6 (Moccasin Wallow Road) driving a 2006 Kia Sedona with passengers, 7 year old Liga Gore and newborn Gavin Crow-Gore.
At the same time 25 year old Deniss Ardon from Palmetto was westbound also on Moccasin Wallow Road, driving a 2017 Jeep Wrangler with passenger 2 year old Chloe Vazquez, from Palmetto and 25 year old Ashley Dorta also from Palmetto.
At roughly 5:55 pm, for reasons unknown driver Tracey Crow drifted out of the eastbound land and directly into the path of the oncoming Jeep Wrangler.
Ardon attempted to avoid the collision by steering to the left, as a result the front left of the Kia Sedona mini-van crashed into the front left of the Jeep Wrangler at speed.
The force of the crash sent both vehicles spinning, the Kia Sedona was rotating counter clockwise where it came to a stop facing the northwest in the eastbound lanes of Moccasin Wallow Road.
The Jeep Wrangler was sent spinning counter clockwise while traveling to the north where it went off the roadway, overturned and crashed into a barbed wire fence and coming to a stop facing the east on it’s left side of the northern shoulder.
As the mini-van and Jeep collided a 2007 Mitsubishi Eclipse driven by 45 year old Melanie Isla, from Parrish approached from the west and a 2017 Ford F-150, driven by 46 year old Ryan Hansen from Wimauma approached from the east.
The impact of the crash caused the Kia Sedona’s left front wheel to be hurled toward the front of the Mitsubishi Eclipse where it crashed into the cross-over SUV and then was sent flying toward the Ford F-150 where it struck the left rear side of the full-sized pick up truck.
Kia Sedona passenger 7 year old Liga Gore from cape coral was in critical condition and taken to Bayfront Medical Center for treatment. 46 year old Tracey Crow of Cape Coral, the driver of the mini-van was pronounced dead by EMS at the scene of the wreck. Newborn Gavin Crow-Gore was restrained in a child safety seat and was not injured in the crash.
Deniss Ardon, the driver of the Jeep suffered only minor injuries and was taken to Bayfront Medical Center for treatment. Ardon’s passenger 25 year old Ashley Dorta also suffered minor injuries in the crash and was taken to Manatee Memorial Hospital.
Both motorist Melanie Isla, and motorist Ryan Hansen, were unharmed in the crash.