Clearwater, FL (January 18, 2021) - A 67-year-old woman from Dunedin is accused of causing an injury accident that took place in Clearwater on Sunday, January 17th. The crash happened around 8:35 p.m. on U.S. Highway 19 near McCormick Drive.

According to the Clearwater Police Department, Belinda Hood was driving a 2010 Corolla northbound on U.S. 19 when she struck two other cars. There are no details on exactly how the accident took place at this time. Hood fled the scene after the crash but was later located by police and arrested on charges of DUI, and DUI causing serious bodily harm. One of the accident victims was taken to a hospital and released while the other was taken to Bayfront Health for treatment of serious injuries. The crash caused the northbound lanes of U.S. 19 to shut down for several hours while police and rescue crews worked at the scene.

There is no further information available at this time.

In 2017, Florida experienced 5,125 alcohol-related crashes. This number equates to about 14 crashes per day in which drivers are drinking or under the influence of alcohol or some other substance. Of the number of crashes, about 350 fatalities were reported and many more victims suffered injuries. Drunk driving crashes are almost always caused by the negligence of the impaired driver. Being impaired slows reaction time and diminishes the capability of drivers to appreciate the risks of driving. 

We wish to offer our thoughts and best wishes to the victims of this injury crash in Clearwater.

Rubenstein Law is dedicated to serving individuals and families injured by the negligence of others. We know first-hand the heartbreak that can be left behind after an accident. In our news blog, we write about cases or personal injury that are relevant to our line of work, and we report on news of judgments and appellate cases that affect the rights of personal injury claimants. We feel a responsibility for the tragic loss of life occurring across our state every day.

Note: These posts are created using publicly available (secondary) sources, information has not been independently verified. If you see any information that should be corrected, please bring it to our attention and we will make adjustments. The photos depicted in these posts are not representative of the actual accident scene.