Taxi Driver Facing 12 Charges Following Fatal St. Pete Crash

ST. PETERSBURG. FL -- Ten misdemeanor and two felony charges have now been filed against a taxi driver who caused a chain-reaction accident on 38th Avenue North near 49th Street North on Jan.. 27.

According to St. Petersburg Police, David Yancy, 47, was driving an Express Taxi south on 49th Street North with a passenger when it rear-ended a 2018 Chevrolet Tahoe driven by John McVey, 78, who was stopped at 38th Avenue North.

This caused a chain reaction and ultimately four additional vehicles that were stopped at the red light were involved. The Tahoe hit a 2017 Ford Escape, driven by Barbara Weber, 71, and a 2017 Chevrolet SS, driven by Thomas Stewart, 57. The Ford Escape was pushed into a 2014 Kia Optima, driven by Warren Chase, 85, and the Kia Optima was pushed into a 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe, driven by Beth Johnson. 48.

McVey, Weber and McLoughlin suffered non-life-threatening injuries and were transported to area hospitals.

Yancey and his passenger, Heather Scozzaro, 40, suffered serious injuries and were transported to Bayfront Health St Petersburg where Scozzaro died.

Yancey was later arrested and extradited from Ocala to Pinellas County to face vehicular homicide and DUI manslaughter charges in addition to three charges of DUI crash with injuries and seven charges of DUI crash with property damage.

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