Hit and run crash seriously injures 3 people in Pasco

NEW PORT RICHEY (FOX 13) - A terrible crash sent three people to the hospital in serious condition Wednesday morning. The crash happened near on U.S. 19, north of State Road 54.

Now, Florida Highway Patrol is searching for the second driver who actually caused it. They believe it's a white or silver Hyundai Sonata.

Employees at Center Plaza along U.S. 19 have seen their fair share of fender benders. But, this one stopped them in their tracks

"I was just standing here cutting," said Joe Khatthachanh at Refuge Barber Shop. "When I looked, the car was still rolling and the guy was almost out the window."

"I've never seen something like that happen before," said Luis Melendez, who also works at Refuge.

Three people lay injured in the road, clothing and belongings scattered. But how could such a violent crash involve just one vehicle?

"I just thought maybe it hit the median or something and flipped over," said Janet Heirholzer, who works at Susan Gallo Travel & Cruises

FHP soon learned there was a second car. According to Sgt. Steve Gaskins, a Chevy Blazer was traveling north on U.S. 19, just past S.R. 54 around 10:45 Wednesday morning.

That's when a white or silver Hyundai Sonata in the outside lane moved in, hitting the left rear of the blazer. Gaskins said the impact worked almost like a PIT maneuver used by law enforcement to stop a fleeing car.

"It turned three times," Melendez said.

"This was a big crash," said Heirholzer.

All three people were ejected: a 22-year-old male driver, a 22-year-old woman in the backseat, and a 20-year-old man in the front passenger seat. None were wearing seat belts.

"The car was in pretty bad shape," Melendez said. "No front bumper. The windshield wasn't even there. Half of it was broken because the girl flew out."

"He was just trying to wake her up," Khatthachanh said. "It was like a scene in the movie."

Tiny pieces of shattered glass are all that's left of the crash now. There's at least one driver out there who knows exactly what happened here. Witnesses can't understand why they didn't stop.

"I think that's messed up, they kept going," Khatthachanh said. "They almost killed somebody. They're going to get caught because they've got to get their car fixed or something."

"I just hope and pray they are doing well," Melendez said, thinking about the victims.

FHP has not yet identified the victims in the crash. They tell us all three are from Holiday.