A sixty-seven year old preacher and his wife were killed in a car crash only a few blocks from their east Tampa residence on Thursday, September 4th. The intersection of 34th Street and Chelsea Street is regarded as a dangerous intersection by residents of the neighborhood. Over 100 people attended the scene of the crash with some complaining of the level of danger at the intersection.
Neighbors said views of oncoming traffic at the intersection are obstructed by a building on the northeast corner of Chelsea Street. The obstruction forces drivers to pull out beyond the traffic signs to observe oncoming vehicles.
Police said the other driver was heading south on 34th Street, and the car driven by the preacher was heading east on Chelsea Street. Traffic at the intersection is unregulated on 34th Street, and there is a two-way stop sign on Chelsea Street. The driver’s side of the couple’s car was crushed when the two cars collided. As of Thursday, investigators did not have a cause for the crash.
After working for years as a garbage collector for the City of Tampa, the minister took to his life’s calling – preaching. Often, he traveled out of state to spread his Christian message, and his wife worked at a nursing home close to their house.
According to the couple’s sister-in-law, the sixty-seven year old preacher typically drove his wife to work and picked her up at the end of the day. They rarely spent time apart.
“They loved one another so much,” added the sister-in-law, “and they died right there together.”
Source:
“Couple and Friend Killed in Tampa Crash Identified” (St. Petersburg Times/The Ledger, September 3, 2010)
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