A man from Clearwater has been arrested on DUI manslaughter charges following a deadly crash on Clearwater Beach earlier this year. The incident occurred on May 5 when Michael David Jones, 36, crashed his 2007 Ford F-150 into a tractor trailer in front of the Sand Key Resort on Gulf Boulevard.
According to Clearwater police, Jones was driving north at a high speed around 1:34 a.m. when he collided with a tractor trailer that was being backed out of a parking lot at 1201 Gulf Blvd. Evidence from the scene revealed that Jones did not brake before the impact. The tractor trailer had its hazard lights flashing and was in a well-lit area, making the vehicle clearly visible to oncoming drivers.
The driver of the tractor trailer said he noticed the Ford from a distance, activated his amber flashers, and began backing up at a slow speed of 3 mph before being struck. The crash caused the 20,000-pound trailer to shift sideways by 3 feet, ripping the roof off the Ford F-150 and lodging it under the trailer.
Both Jones and his passenger, 41-year-old Mark Harris, had to be extricated from the wreckage. Harris was pronounced dead at the scene, while Jones was rushed to Orlando Health Bayfront Hospital in St. Petersburg in critical condition.
Further investigation revealed that Jones had been at Mahuffer’s Bar on Gulf Blvd. until 1:15 a.m. on the morning of the crash. Toxicology tests taken an hour after the crash revealed a blood alcohol level of 0.22, more than twice the legal limit of 0.08 in Florida.
Jones turned himself in to authorities on Thursday. He is currently being held at the Pinellas County Jail. Bail details are unavailable at this time.
