A 26-year-old Clearwater man was arrested Wednesday on charges that he was drunk when his car fatally struck another occupied by an elderly couple.
Christopher Tridico was charged with driving under the influence manslaughter and driving with a revoked or suspended driver's license in an incident in which someone died. He was being held on $25,000 bail at the Pinellas County Jail.
At about 8:35 p.m. Tuesday, Tridico was driving northbound on U.S. 19 at a high rate of speed when his car T-boned a Lincoln driving southbound whose driver was attempting to turn left, Largo police said.
The 76-year-old woman passenger in the Lincoln was killed, Largo police said. Her husband, who is also in his 70s, is in critical condition at a local hospital, Largo police said.
Tridico admitted to drinking and smoking marijuana before the wreck, jail affidavits say. His blood alcohol level was 0.217. A driver in the state of Florida is presumed intoxicated at 0.08.
Tridico's driver's license was suspended after he failed to pay two traffic tickets in 2008. He also has a prior conviction involving driving without a license in Florida, plus one in Ohio dating to 2001.
Stay with TBO.com for updates.
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