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One killed, four injured in crash on East Lake Road

 
Florida Highway Patrol investigators work at the scene of an accident on East Lake Road that left one person dead and four others seriously injured Tuesday afternoon.
Florida Highway Patrol investigators work at the scene of an accident on East Lake Road that left one person dead and four others seriously injured Tuesday afternoon.
Published Aug. 22, 2012

EAST LAKE — A New Port Richey man was killed and four others, including two teens, were seriously injured when a pickup truck carrying five people flipped several times Tuesday afternoon on East Lake Road.

The driver, identified late Tuesday as Robert Lee Lewis, 21, was killed, authorities said.

Two passengers, Alexis Peshek, 14, of Tampa, and Brian Fonseca, 22, of Lutz, were riding in the bed and were seriously injured.

Two others, Breann Jennies, 14, of Lutz, and Ross Weber, 21, of Palm Harbor, were with Lewis in the cab when the accident happened. They also were seriously injured. Fonseca and Jennies were taken to St. Joseph's Hospital in Tampa, officials said. Weber and Peshek were taken to Bayonet Point Medical Center.

Florida Highway Patrol troopers were investigating.

An initial investigation found that the white 2006 Ford Ranger was driving north on East Lake Road when the accident occurred just south of Lansbrook Parkway, officials said. About 2:45 p.m., the truck veered into the road's grass median for unknown reasons, then swerved back across the northbound lanes.

As a result of this "overcorrection," FHP officials said, the truck flipped several times.

Times staff writer Dan Sullivan contributed to this report. Peter Jamison can be reached at pjamison@tampabay.com or (727) 445-4157.