Man seriously injured in Port Charlotte crash

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. – A 72-year-old Port Charlotte man was seriously injured in a crash on Cochran Boulevard and Peachland Boulevard after troopers said he ran a red light.

According to Florida Highway Patrol, the man was driving west on Peachland Boulevard around 6:46 a.m. and was coming up to a red light at Cochran Boulevard.

A 19-year-old woman from North Port was driving south on Cochran and was coming up to a green traffic light at the intersection. Troopers said the man disregarded his red light and drove through the intersection and into the woman’s path. The front of the woman’s car smashed into the side of the man’s pickup truck.

His pickup truck collided with a handrail and the traffic signal support before coming to a stop. The man was taken to the hospital in critical condition. Troopers said he was not wearing his seat belt.

The crash is still under investigation.

Just over an hour prior to this crash, there was another crash less than a mile away in which a 14-year-old boy was killed after he was hit by a car while riding his bike.