THREE PEOPLE WERE KILLED, INCLUDING A CHILD, IN AN ACCIDENT IN ARCADIA TUESDAY AFTERNOON. THE FLORIDA HIGHWAY PATROL SAYS 33 YEAR OLD KAREN BARRETT OF ARCADIA WAS NORTHBOUND ON US 17 NEAR FUGATE STREET AT AROUND 4:30PM WHEN HER DODGE RAM TRUCK DRIFTED INTO THE SOUTHBOUND LANE AND COLLIDED HEAD-ON WITH A FORD VAN DRIVEN BY 21 YEAR OLD DENNIS MCDONOUGH OF PUNTA GORDA. THE IMPACT CAUSED THE VAN TO OVERTURN ON IT’S RIGHT SIDE, WHILE THE RAM SPUN OUT ONTO THE CENTER LINE OF 17. A MITSUBISHI GALANT DRIVEN BY 23 YEAR OLD JUSTIN WITT OF PUNTA GORDA WAS BEHIND THE VAN AND COULD NOT AVOID HITTING THE RAM TRUCK. BARRETT AND MCDONOUGH WERE PRONOUNCED DEAD AT THE SCENE. THERE WERE TWO CHILDREN IN THE RAM, 8 YEAR OLD DAYLAN BARRETT, WHO WAS TAKEN TO CHARLOTTE REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER WHERE HE WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD A SHORT TIME LATER, AND 10 YEAR OLD BROOKE BARRETT, WHO WAS AIRLIFTED TO TAMPA GENERAL HOSPITAL IN SERIOUS CONDITION. WITT WAS NOT INJURED. TROOPERS SAY NO ONE IN THE BARRETT VEHICLE WAS WEARING A SEATBELT, WHILE WITT AND MCDONOUGH WERE. THEY ALSO SAY THEY ARE AWAITING TEST RESULTS TO DETERMINE IF KAREN BARRETT WAS UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF ALCOHOL.
