GULFPORT, Fla. — Authorities are investigating a major crash in Gulfport that left a 19-year-old driver and his passenger seriously injured.
The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office says Cameron Daynard ran a red light just after 11 p.m. on Monday night and collided with a Gulport Police Officer's cruiser.
Daynard and his passenger, Reyna Williams, 19, were both taken to a local hospital with serious injuries. Officer Courtney Palazzolo, 28, suffered minor injuries.
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According to the sheriff's office, Daynard was driving his Cadillac CTS eastbound on Gulfport Boulevard South when he ran the red light at the 49th Street South intersection.
Officer Palazzolo was driving southbound on 49th Street South in her marked Dodge Charger. Deputies say Officer Palazzolo crashed into the driver's side of the Cadillac when Daynard ran the light.
The impact caused the Cadillac to rotate counter-clockwise and hit a traffic signal box. Both of the vehicles came to a final rest in the northbound lanes of 49th Street South.
Deputies say the Major Accident Investigation Team (M.A.I.T.) are investigating. At this time, they say it appears Daynard was impaired at the time of the crash.
Williams, Daynard's passenger, was not wearing her seatbelt and it's unclear if Daynard was wearing his, according to the sheriff's office.
