Pedestrian struck by St. Petersburg police car dies

ST. PETERSBURG — A man hit by a police car as he crossed 34th Street near Fourth Avenue N a week ago has died, authorities said.

Terry W. Barnes, 24 of New Haven, Conn. died of his injuries shortly after 11 a.m. today at Bayfront Medical Center. He had been in the hospital's intensive care unit.

Witnesses saw Barnes running across the street just before 11 p.m. June 12 toward Cactus Charlie's Bar and into the path of a St. Petersburg police car, driven by Officer Steven Pugh.

Pugh, who was on his way to a non-emergency call, swerved left to avoid the man but hit him with the front right corner of his car.

Barnes, who was staying at the Mosley Motel with a friend, was thrown into the bar's driveway.

Rescuers summoned a helicopter to transport the man to the hospital.

The accident is still under investigation and will be reviewed by an internal traffic investigator.

"They will determine whether it was a preventable accident," said police spokesman George Kajtsa.