Crime & Safety
UPDATE: Two Injured in Head-On Crash on Belcher Rd.
A van was headed northbound in the southbound lanes of Belcher Road in Clearwater when it crashed into another vehicle, officials said.
Two people were injured, one seriously, when a van headed the wrong way on Belcher Road crashed head-on into another vehicle Sunday night, authorities said.
A 1995 Dodge van was headed northbound in the southbound lanes of Belcher at Sunset Point Road just before 7 p.m. when it ran into a Nissan Pathfinder, according to Clearwater public safety spokesperson Elizabeth Watts.
Both vehicles suffered heavy damage, and the driver of the van, 51-year-old Bonnie Blanchard, had to be extricated by Clearwater Fire & Rescue personnel. She was airlifted to Bayfront Medical Center in St. Petersburg with serious injuries, Watts said.
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The driver of the Pathfinder, Demetrios Lianidis, 31, was taken to St. Joseph's Hospital and treated for minor injuries.
It's unclear why Blanchard was headed in the wrong direction, Watts said.
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All lanes of Belcher Road were closed for about an hour and a half following the crash.
The investigation is ongoing.
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Related Coverage:
Multi-Car Accident Sends Two Drivers to Hospital
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