SC Staff Report
A serious three-vehicle crash at 6:38 p.m. Saturday, March 26 on the Sanibel Causeway that backed up traffic for hours resulted in life-threatening injuries for two individuals.
Twenty-four-year-old Matthew Collett of Cape Coral was traveling east in a Chevrolet Silverado, when he used the roadway shoulder to pass an eastbound Jeep Wrangler. When Collett attempted to re-enter the roadway, the left-rear tire of his Silverado clipped the right-front corner of the Wrangler.
Collett’s Silverado then traveled into the westbound lane and struck a westbound Dodge Caravan head on. Collett’s Silverado came to rest on its roof. Witnesses at the scene told Lee County Sheriff’s Deputies Collett and the driver of the Wrangler were driving recklessly just before the crash.
All occupants of Collett’s Silverado and the Dodge Caravan were transported by Lee County EMS to Gulf Coast Hospital for treatment of injuries. Collett had a blood alcohol level of 0.028 and tested positive for benzodiazepines.
The LCSO report stated Collett was sedated at the hospital. One individual sustained an injury which was likely to be fatal and a second individual sustained life-threatening injuries. Injuries to a third individual were not serious in nature.
An update has not been released on the two individuals with life-threatening injuries. Collett was found at fault for the crash for reckless driving based on the evidence, LCSO stated.