PINELLAS PARK – The driver of a black sedan suffered serious injuries when he crashed into the back of a boat, towed by a large box truck on Gandy Boulevard the morning of Aug. 8.
The truck was slowing for the traffic light at Gandy Boulevard and Frontage Road at around 7:12 a.m. when the Volkswagen Passat crashed into the back of the 27-foot boat towed behind it.
Kostadin Atanassov, 22, of St. Petersburg was coming home from an overnight shift at a Hess gas station, department spokesperson Capt. Sandy Forseth said. He did not slow in time, crashing into the back of the boat. The outboard motor of the boat fell through the windshield of the car, injuring his head.
Atanassov was transported to Bayfront Medical Center. His injuries were serious, “but he’s expected to recover,” Forseth said.
Traffic homicide investigators estimate that Atanassov was driving 45 to 50 miles per hour. They haven’t identified why Atanassov didn’t stop in time, Forseth said.
The crash caused a significant backup on eastbound Gandy and Park Boulevard as traffic homicide investigators examined the scene.
The driver of the truck, Sean Zentmeyer of Lithia, was uninjured.
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