2 Teens Killed in Courtney Campbell Crash

A Tampa man and a teenage girl are dead after the car they were riding in crashed through a guardrail on the Courtney Campbell Causeway Friday morning.

According to the Tampa Police Department, a witness called authorities around 5 a.m. to say that a black Toyota Camry had just crashed into the Bay. The witness said the vehicle was traveling on the service road connected to the causeway when it struck a guardrail and went into the water.

“The witness was able to help Naeve Duarte swim back to shore after she freed herself from the vehicle,” an email from Tampa police to media stated.

Duarte is visiting the area from California.

When officers arrived on the scene, they jumped into the water to try and rescue the two people left in the car, the email said. The Clearwater Police Department, Tampa Fire Rescue and the U.S. Coast Guard also responded and worked with Tampa police to remove Rishi Martinez, 18, and Gyzelle Diaz, 14, from the submerged vehicle.

Duarte, Diaz and Martinez were all transported to St. Joseph’s Hospital, police said. Diaz and Martinez, both of Tampa, were pronounced dead a short time later.

“Detectives are still working to determine who was driving the vehicle at the time of the incident,” the email from police stated. “At this time, investigators believe that alcohol was a factor in the crash.”

Photo courtesy of the Tampa Police Department

Editor’s note: This article was updated at 12:37 p.m. July 31 with the latest information from the Tampa Police Department.