Elderly New Port Richey Woman Dies After Crash

NEW PORT RICHEY, FL — An 85-year-old New Port Richey woman involved in a Valentine’s Day crash has died from her injuries, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

The patrol announced that Isabella Montalbano passed away Thursday, April 14, from injuries related to a Feb. 14 crash. That crash occurred around 6 p.m. on Valentine’s Day in the parking lot of the Publix at 1346 Seven Springs Blvd.

According to the patrol, Joseph Montalbano, 60, was behind the wheel of a 1994 Jeep SUV at the time. Joseph, a highway patrol report said, was in a marked parking space when he drove forward, over a raised curb and into a light pole.

Isabella Montalbano, Joseph’s mother, was a passenger in the Jeep at the time, the patrol reported. She was hospitalized following the accident.

Joseph Montalbano was ticketed for careless driving and arrested on a DUI charge following the accident.

Photo courtesy of the Florida Highway Patrol

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