30-Year-Old Pinellas Park Pedestrian Killed Crossing 5th Avenue N

PINELLAS PARK, FL — A 30-year-old Pinellas Park woman is dead after being struck by a car fleeing deputies on 5th Avenue North Thursday night.

At 9:24 p.m. July 18, a deputy assigned to the Pinellas County Sheriff's Major Accident Investigation Team, made up of sheriff's deputies and Clearwater Police, was driving his marked sheriff's Chevrolet Tahoe in the area of 44th Street North and Park Boulevard in Pinellas Park when he noticed a Nissan Maxima with a tag light out and an illegal window tint.

He turned on his lights and sirens and tried to pull the car over but the driver, 18-year-old Jamar G. Johnson of 38th Street Southeast in St. Petersburg, sped away east on Park Boulevard and got onto the southbound ramp of Interstate 275.

In keeping with sheriff's office police, the deputy didn't pursue the Nissan. Instead, he notified undercover members of his investigation team, which spotted the Nissan on I-275. Investigators said Johnson was driving at a high speed on the congested interstate when he abruptly crossed three lanes of traffic, got off the interstate at 5th Avenue North and headed toward 20th Street North.

Caroline Dewitt, 18, of Live Oak Terrace Northeast in St. Petersburg, was driving a Honda Accord east on 5th Avenue North and had entered the intersection on a green light when Johnson blew through a red light at the intersection and collided with the front of the Honda.

The crash sent Johnson's car into a spin, causing it to strike 30-year-old Jee-esta J. Shurock of 79th Avenue North in Pinellas Park, who was walking in the crosswalk at the intersection.

Johnson bailed out of his car and ran away. He was caught a short time later.

Shurock was taken to a hospital where she was pronounced dead. Johnson was treated for minor injuries and then taken to the Pinellas County Jail. Dewitt was not injured.

Johnson has been charged with vehicular homicide, fleeing and eluding, leaving the scene of a crash with a death and leaving the scene of a crash with property damage.