Reason To Wear Seatbelts

Driver Hit, Killed By His Car
By Stephen Thompson of The Tampa Tribune
Published: October 29, 2007

ST. PETERSBURG - In a bizarre one-car wreck early Sunday, the driver was thrown from his own car as it spun out of control – then the car ricocheted off a building and struck the driver, killing him, St. Petersburg police said.

The driver was identified as Jonneth Correa, 20, of St. Petersburg.
At 1:12 a.m. Sunday, Correa was driving down 38th Avenue North at a high rate of speed when he decided to try to beat a changing stoplight, St. Petersburg Traffic Homicide Investigator Mike Jockers says in a written statement.

The Honda he was driving flew into the air, struck the center median, slid sideways and then hit an above-ground city water meter, Jockers said. It then struck a tree, causing it to spin violently counterclockwise. In the process, Correa, who was not wearing a seat belt, was thrown from the Honda, and the young man struck a building at 4957 38th Ave. N.

The Honda then struck the same building and then struck Correa, Jockers said.
A 21-year-old passenger in the Honda was wearing a seat belt and was treated at an area hospital for minor injuries.

Reporter Stephen Thompson can be reached at (727) 451-2336 or spthompson@tampatrib.com.