Crash With Semi Truck On I-75 In Pasco Claims lives Of 3 Clearwater Residents

PASCO COUNTY, FL — Three people from Clearwater lost their lives on Interstate 75 in Pasco County Saturday night when an SUV collided with a tractor trailer truck.

According to the Florida Highway Patrol, at 9:53 p.m., a tractor trailer truck driven by a 55-year-old Miami man was headed south in the center lane on I-75 in Pasco.

A sports utility vehicle driven by a 57-year-old Clearwater Beach man was headed the same direction in the inside lane.

See related story: Millburn Mourns School Board Member, Family Killed In Car Crash

Troopers said the truck driver changed lanes and entered the path of the SUV, which hit the left rear of the truck's trailer.

All three people in the SUV were killed at the scene, including a 53-year-old Clearwater woman and a 16-year-old Clearwater boy.

Although Marsy's Law prohibits the Florida Highway from releasing the names of victims, the Millburn, New Jersey, school district confirmed Sunday that Danielle Prieto, a former member of the board of education and her family were the crash victims.

The Millburn School District said Prieto, her husband Alfred, and their teenage son Antonio died in the crash. The couple's two older sons were not in the vehicle.

Prieto served out her term on the board until the end of this past year when she and her family moved to Clearwater.

"The family would like donations in memory of the Prieto family to be given to Autism Awareness charities," the district said.

The crash closed I-75 in both directions until 4:22 a.m. Sunday.