PINELLAS PARK, Fla. – A 28-year-old woman is in custody following a series of crashes that resulted in one fatality on Saturday morning.
According to Pinellas Park Police, Katlynn Smith was driving a Toyota Camry when she was involved in an initial crash at Starkey Road and Bryan Dairy Road around 10 a.m. Witnesses reported that Smith fled the scene, prompting the other driver to follow her as she recklessly continued on Bryan Dairy Road.
The pursuing driver observed Smith strike another vehicle stopped at a red light at Belcher Road before continuing through the traffic signal. That driver subsequently notified law enforcement.
Authorities said that while officers were attempting to locate Smith, she ran a red light at 66th Street and 70th Avenue, colliding with a Lexus IS250 driven by 53-year-old Kanh Kim Nguyen of Largo. Nguyen sustained serious injuries and later died at the scene, while Smith suffered significant injuries.
Smith was transported to a local hospital, where she remains in police custody. She faces charges of vehicular homicide and hit and run with property damage. Neither of the drivers involved in the first two incidents reported injuries.