the skyway accident report.

02.24.05: wrecks on skyway kill 2, injure 1
Erica L. Reed, 27, killed by Joel C. Melody, 25, also died

thank you, jumpnews contributor:
02.24.05, Jessica, Apollo Beach, FL., Hi, I found this on TBO home page, just happened about an hour ago i think....
Two Killed In Accident On Sunshine Skyway, 02/24/05 10:05:43 AM
TAMPA - The northbound lanes of the Sunshine Skyway were temporarily closed Thursday morning due to a fatal accident. Florida Highway Patrol officers said that two people died in the crash near the top of the bridge over Tampa Bay.
A car involved in an earlier hit-and-run drove into the wrong lane and hit two other cars, according to FHP. The driver who was driving the wrong way and the driver of one of the cars he hit were killed in the crash.
The lanes of the Skyway bridge are now open. -- News Channel 8

02.25.05, © St. Petersburg Times, Erica L. Reed wanted nothing but the best for her newborn son.
Less than a month after giving birth, she was back at work with two jobs. Full time for a Tampa insurance company as a sales agent. Part time as a host for a Bradenton restaurant.
But the long hours would soon end. Another insurance company had offered Reed more money, and the single mother looked forward to starting the new job on Monday and spending more time with her son, Anthony Devon William Reed.
Instead, he will never know his mother.
Early Thursday, a man fleeing an accident drove the wrong way on the Sunshine Skyway bridge and slammed head on into Reed's car as she drove home from work. Reed, 27, and the man who hit her died at the scene.
"She was hard-working," said Reed's sister, Monica Williams. Her second job "was something to do to keep the bills paid up until she was able to get this other job on Monday. She would have been set up after that."
Trooper Larry Coggins, Florida Highway Patrol spokesman, said Joel C. Melody, 25, of 10130 Yacht Club Drive, Treasure Island, crashed his Jeep Grand Cherokee head on into Reed's Nissan Maxima.
After Melody hit Reed, of 3157 Diamond Knot Circle, Tampa, he hit the front end of a Buick LeSabre driven by Tammy A. Webb, 27, of 5824 S Sixth St., Tampa. Webb was listed in serious condition at Bayfront Medical Center, a hospital spokeswoman said. Melody had been involved in a earlier wreck in St. Petersburg, Coggins said, and had fled the scene.
Butch Rinard Jr., 47, was exiting northbound Interstate 275 at 54th Avenue S when he saw car traveling toward him, headed the wrong direction on the exit ramp.
The car slammed into the back of Rinard's Toyota Celica, spinning it around. Rinard thought the other driver, later identified as Melody, was going to stop. But he recovered and continued up the exit ramp and onto I-275, headed toward the Skyway.
Angry, Rinard chased behind, wanting to get the license number.
Rinard followed Melody toward the Skyway, and didn't realize he was traveling south in the northbound lanes until he saw the toll booth on the other side of the road, Rinard said.
He got behind Melody, traveling about 85 mph, and copied his license plate.
Oncoming traffic swerved out of the way, Rinard said.
Rinard pulled beside Melody. He honked his horn, flashed his lights, shouted for him to pull over.
Melody glanced over just once.
"He had kind of a blank look," Rinard said. "I saw no anger, no nothing. I saw no recollection of the accident, or even any emotion toward me. He looked over, then continued on."
Rinard said he pulled in front of Melody and started to decelerate, hoping to slow him down. But he said Melody just inched closer.
Rinard decided to pull off at the northbound rest stop exit, about 40 seconds after the chase began.
"I figured I wasn't going to go over the Skyway and chance it," said Rinard, of St. Petersburg.
He spotted a state trooper at the rest stop and told him a man was heading the wrong way up the bridge.
The trooper sped off, and Rinard stood beneath a full moon, watching the bridge.
He saw a stream of car headlights racing across the bridge, then suddenly, without a sound, they stopped.
Then the sirens began to wail, and Rinard knew what had happened.
Reed was the youngest of three daughters born to Clark and Elflora Reed.
Her middle sister, Monica Williams, described Reed as the most organized of the siblings.
She was funny but had a serious side, Williams said. Since Anthony's birth, Reed was starting to change, her sister said.
"Before, you're a single person and it's all about you," Williams said. "Then, when you have the baby, it kicks in that it's no longer about you. That's why she decided to get the new job. She knew that it was more than just her that she had to feed and support."
Reed graduated high school from Tampa Bay Tech and then began working for Bankers Life and Casualty insurance company.
Her oldest sister, Angela Sosik, said Reed was so good at her job, she won a trip to Hawaii last year.
"She took me as her date," said Sosik. "I was very proud of her."
Elizabeth Ovitt started work for Bankers Life and Casualty on the same day as Reed three years ago. "We were pretty much best friends," Ovitt said. "She was the one I could tell anything to without being judged."
Ovitt said Reed was the "life of the party." She laughed at Ovitt's jokes, even when they weren't funny, Ovitt said.
"I'm going to miss our four-hour chats about nothing . . . that friendship where you could call any time, any place, and just know she would be there on the other line until you're done."
Melody was cited for careless driving, a seat belt violation and an expired tag in June 2003 in Palm Beach County, according to state records.
He was convicted and received three points on his license for the careless driving charge, records show. His driving record also includes a citation for speeding in 1999, 80 in a 60 mph zone.
Melody's relatives declined to comment. "Are you kidding? We're grieving," said a woman who answered the phone Thursday.
Melody's mother died within the last two weeks, said Coggins. Melody's mother, 46-year-old Debby Angelo, owned her own day care center and Yesterday's Cafe in Treasure Island.
He did not know whether that was a factor in Melody's actions, or whether alcohol played a role.
The FHP is awaiting results of toxicology tests, which could take weeks.
Had Joel Melody survived the accident, Reed's sister said she hopes he would have learned a lesson. A lesson, Williams said, she and her family plan to teach to Anthony.
"Own up to your mistakes," Williams said. "Every action has a consequence. And this is one of the most serious actions to be taken. Someone has lost their life."
Reed's sisters are thinking a lot about lessons - lessons Erica Reed won't be around to teach her son.
"She wanted Anthony to go to college, to be a law-abiding citizen," Williams said, "and to be a man that is respectful of women."

07.10.05, Angela S., Tampa, FL., Thank you for the story on my sister, Erica Reed, who was killed on the Skyway Bridge on 2/24/05. I've recently had the courage to start looking at articles, which why I have not previously given my thanks. May I please request to have any and all stories relating to this accident. Specifically, I am looking for the Butch Rinard mentioned in this article. If you have any information as to how I can contact him since his name was not mentioned in the police report, it is really important to all of our family to locate him. My cell number is 813-[number withheld] if you would like to get in touch with me about anything having to do with my sister. I would like any article clippings, newsclippings, letters to paper expressing their sympathy. As you know, she has a son named Anthony who will never know his mother. Therefore, before this story gets too old in everyones mind, I would like to add to my memory box. I was too choked up to say much when the newspaper columnist contacted our family. But I can now that you just never realize how much a person is part of your life in every aspect. I can barely get through a day without tearing up and it's almost been 5 months. Thank you so much for your attention as I know that your time is very valuable. Again, I would add that this is something that means a lot to my entire family. (we are sorry for your loss. our condolences to you and erica reed's family. this site is mainly focused on people that jump off the bridge under their own power. we post various articles about other skyway incidents only as a side note. we did look around for further information and forwarded our findings to you. if anyone contacts us with more on this story, we will forward that information to you as well. we wish you much success in finding what you seek.)

06.17.07, Cece, france, I need to reach the sister of my friend Erica Reed that died in a car crash on the skyway Bridge in Tampa, florida. Her sister also wrote on 07.10.05, Angela S.,a thank you letter and gave her number on your site that's apparently being withheld. Please give her my email adress to reach me or give me her number so I can call her. Thank you so much for your help. I need to give her my condoleances and maybe get a picture of Erica. (we passed your email to angela, but it was returned 'no such address'. we then sent you the cell number she provided for contact. good luck.)