ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. \u2013 A late-night, multi-vehicle crash in St. Petersburg left one person dead and two others fighting for their lives early Sunday morning.<\/p>\n
The chain-reaction collision began around 1:15 a.m. on May 31, 2026. Cleveland Sanders, 43, was driving a Mercedes sedan westbound on 18th Avenue South. As he approached 29th Street South, Sanders suddenly crossed the median for unknown reasons, slamming head-on into an eastbound black Nissan sedan.<\/p>\n
Inside the Nissan were 27-year-old driver Clifford Washington and front-seat passenger Dy\u2019Jean Roberts, 26, both residents of St. Petersburg.<\/p>\n
Moments after the initial impact, a third vehicle became involved. Terrell Burney, 50, was driving a westbound Oldsmobile on 18th Avenue South when he failed to stop, striking the front of the already-damaged Nissan.<\/p>\n
Emergency crews rushed the victims to Orlando Health Bayfront Hospital in St. Petersburg. Roberts succumbed to his injuries at the hospital and was pronounced dead.<\/p>\n
Sanders and Washington both sustained critical injuries in the crash. Due to the severity of their conditions, both drivers were subsequently airlifted to Tampa General Hospital with life-threatening injuries.<\/p>\n
Burney, the driver of the third vehicle, was evaluated by medical personnel at the scene and released.<\/p>\n
Authorities have not yet determined what caused Sanders to cross the median. The investigation into the fatal crash remains ongoing.<\/p>\n
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