Police: Fight at St. Pete store ends with deadly crash
ST. PETERSBURG (FOX 13) - A St. Pete woman was killed and her sister injured in a car crash that police believe was no accident. They say it was intentionally caused by another vehicle.
Detectives with St. Pete police are investigating the death of 40-year-old April Morrow. She died from injuries she suffered in the crash that happened Tuesday at 3:20 a.m. at 16th Avenue S and Martin Luther King Street S. Her sister, 37-year-old Tina, was also hurt, but her injuries were not life-threatening.
Earlier that morning, police said, they were called out to a brawl at the Obama Express Food Mart at 1400 18th Avenue S. April and Tina Morrow were there, too. When officers arrived, cars pulled out. But the fight apparently wasn't over.
"At that point, these two sisters got in their car and it appears someone followed them and forced them off the road and the car struck the utility pole," police spokeswoman Yolanda Fernandez said.
Detectives said April was the front passenger in the Nissan Murano. Tina was in the driver's seat.
"I heard the impact," said Maurice Haynes, who lives near the crash scene. "I jumped up and ran to the door. I saw the car. It was in bad shape. Oh God, the front end, totally demolished almost."
The second vehicle drove off after the accident. Thanks to witness statements, it didn't take detectives long to find it. So far, investigators have not released any further details on whose car it is.
Tuesday night, a large group gathered outside Tina Morrow's house. As she lay inside recovering, friends and family comforted one another outside.
"She was everything, everything to us," said Breonna Britton, April's daughter. "I miss my mama."
Seven kids are now left without a mother. Breonna, the oldest, is doing her best to take on that role and to stay strong for the rest of them. It's what her mom taught her.
"All I can do is think about my mama in my head through every situation and what she'd say to me," Britton said. "I've just got to be strong. I cant be weak. I've got to be strong because of my mama, because that's all she said. Strong."