St. Petersburg Times Citrus County Online

Man dies in wreck on 43rd birthday

By SUZANNAH GONZALES
© St. Petersburg Times
published December 8, 2002
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BEVERLY HILLS -- A Beverly Hills man was killed on his 43rd birthday after his 1999 GMC Sierra collided with a vehicle that crossed the center line of County Road 486 early Saturday morning.

About 6 a.m. Saturday, Timothy Parker, of 27 N Desoto St., was driving east on CR 486 just east of Forest Ridge Boulevard with passenger Christopher Snetzko, who lives at the same Beverly Hills address, according to a spokeswoman for the Citrus County Sheriff's Office.

Kelly McDonald, 32, of 1479 N Chapel Cross, Crystal River, was driving her 1997 Ford Explorer west on CR 486. McDonald's car crossed the center line, and the two cars struck driver-side to driver-side, said Ronda Hemminger Evan, a spokeswoman for the Sheriff's Office.

Parker was dead on the scene, Evan said. Snetzko, who suffered minor injuries, was taken to Seven Rivers Community Hospital. McDonald suffered multiple fractures, including a broken pelvis and legs, Evan said. She was transported to Citrus Memorial Hospital, where she was on trauma alert, Evan said. She was later transported to Tampa General Hospital, where she was listed in critical condition Saturday.

McDonald had left her house at 6 a.m. Saturday morning to go to work in Hernando, said McDonald's mother, Shirley, in a phone interview.

McDonald, who authorities said appears to be at fault, is a former resident-life advocate at the Marion Citrus Mental Health Center and had been arrested twice for drunken driving in 1997 and 1998, according to reports from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. In 1997, her 1987 Toyota hit a median, knocking over a light pole. She was also charged with property damage, the FDLE report showed.

In Saturday's accident, there was an indication that McDonald had been drinking alcohol, Evan said. Her blood was drawn at the scene and will be sent to FDLE for analysis.

On Saturday morning, police had made no charges, pending results from the blood analysis, according to Evan.