On Monday, January 20, Latoya Roundtree died in St. Petersburg after an impaired driver ran a red light and crashed into her vehicle.
According to St. Pete police, Arttonyo Lee Jr., 23, was under the influence and speeding when he ran a red light at the intersection of 18th Avenue South at 22nd Street South, about 9 PM.
Speeding eastbound on 18th Avenue, Lee crashed into the passenger side of a vehicle driven by 38-year-old Latoya Roundtree. She was taken to a local hospital, where she was later pronounced dead.
Lee was treated for injuries then later arrested for vehicular homicide, DUI manslaughter, possession of marijuana less than 20 grams, and violation of probation. According to police, he showed numerous signs of being impaired and results from blood tests are pending.
Sadly, impaired driving is still the leading cause of fatal traffic crashes in Florida. In 2017, there were 5,125 alcohol-involved crashes in the state. Those included 350 fatalities.
The highest number of drunk driving fatalities were in the 25-29 age group (31), followed by the 55-59 age group with 26 fatalities in 2017.