CLEARWATER, Fla. — Clearwater Police have opened an internal investigation after a man was charged with DUI manslaughter and vehicular homicide after allegedly crashing into a crane in a construction zone Thursday night.
Police said the crash occurred around 11:22 p.m. on U.S. 19 and Harn Boulevard when a 2019 Jeep Grand Cherokee, driven by Bryant Mendoza, 46, drove into the construction zone. Bryant then crashed into the parked crane.
Clearwater Police said he was also driving in the right and middle lanes of U.S. 19 despite them being closed off, and a witness stated that he was speeding. A woman, 37, riding in the passenger seat of the Jeep, was taken to Bayfront Health St. Petersburg, where she passed away from her injuries.
Bryant was treated for minor injuries at Bayfront before he was booked into the Pinellas County Jail early Friday morning.
The internal investigation was announced late Friday afternoon when Clearwater Police said Mendoza had been involved in another crash about an hour before he hit the crane.
Police said the first crash happened at 10:19 p.m. at the intersection of U.S. 19 and Flournoy Boulevard. Mendoza was cited at the scene for careless driving.
The internal investigation is looking at if the officer at the scene of the first crash failed to investigate if Mendoza was driving under the influence at the time of the first crash.
