Driver, involved in car accident, kills himself in Brooksville hospital

BROOKSVILLE — A man who was taken to a hospital after he was involved in a traffic crash shot and killed himself in the emergency room Tuesday evening, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

The man was identified as William Stark Adams, 61, of Webster. Shortly after 5 p.m. Tuesday, Adams was in a Dodge pickup truck, driving south on U.S. 41, south of Brooksville. He began to turn left onto Powell Road, troopers said, but turned into the path of an oncoming Volkswagen Jetta driven by Paul Kordahi, 23, of Douglasville, Ga. The front of Kordahi's car hit the side of Adams' pickup, causing the truck to flip.

Kordahi told crash investigators he had a green light and the left turn lane had a flashing yellow arrow. Troopers wrote in the crash report that they had planned to cite Adams with violation of right of way.

Investigators found "a large volume" of hydrocodone and other pills with Adams, the FHP reported. The report indicated troopers did not suspect drug or alcohol use was a factor in the crash.

Both Adams and Kordahi had injuries listed on the crash report as "non-incapacitating." Both were transported by Hernando County Fire Rescue to Bayfront Health Brooksville.

That's when Adams shot himself, officials said.

Deputies, who were at the hospital overseeing the treatment of a man they had earlier arrested, heard a nurse scream after she entered Adams' treatment room and saw that he was suffering from a gunshot wound, said Hernando County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Denise Moloney. Deputies and doctors rushed in but couldn't save Adams.

He was pronounced dead at 6:15 p.m., according to the FHP.

It was unclear what type of security was in place at the hospital and how Adams had access to a gun while inside.

"We have extensive security measures for a wide range of emergency situations but do not publicly disclose the details of these precautions in the interest of safety," Jennifer Siem, the hospital's director of marketing, said in an emailed statement. "We work with local law enforcement and conduct drills to prepare for potential scenarios and regularly review our security program to make adjustments as needed."

Information about the gun and why Adams decided to pull the trigger was not available Wednesday.

Contact Josh Solomon at (813) 909-4613 or jsolomon@tampabay.com. Follow @josh_solomon15.