St. Petersburg Police officer cited for February crash that killed man in wheelchair

ST. PETERSBURG — Authorities issued a police officer a careless driving citation Thursday for a February crash that killed a man in a wheelchair.

Investigators concluded that the victim, Harold Fleming, 45, was impaired and had marijuana in his system as he crossed 38th Avenue N near 64th Street around 4:20 a.m. Feb. 19, and that he also was wearing dark clothing.

But they also determined that the officer, Mehmedin Karic, 26, was speeding in his marked cruiser at the time of the accident. Karic was going an estimated 61 mph in a 40 mph area, police said. He has a traffic court appearance scheduled for May 24.

Karic has been with the department since October 2010. Police Chief Chuck Harmon has initiated an internal affairs investigation and Karic has been placed on paid administrative duty.

Fleming, who the report said had a blood alcohol content of 0.136, became a quadriplegic in the 1980s after a car crash. His family could not be reached Thursday for comment.