Crime & Safety
Man in Wheelchair Struck, Killed by Police Car
Harold Charles Fleming was crossing the street in his wheelchair at 4:20 a.m., when he was hit by a police cruiser. The officer said he never saw the victim.
A man in a wheelchair crossing 38th Avenue North in St. Petersburg was struck and killed by a police cruiser before dawn Sunday.
Harold Charles Fleming, 45, was crossing 38th Avenue North near the intersection of 64th Street, when the accident occurred, at about 4:20 a.m. Sunday.
Fleming was transported to St. Petersburg General Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
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At 4:20 a.m., Officer Mehmedin Karic, 26, was operating his marked cruiser, heading east in the median lane of 38 Avenue North. Police said Karic was not responding to a call at the time of the accident and was not operating his cruiser in emergency mode.
According to investigators, Karic never saw Fleming, who was dressed in dark clothing, crossing the street. The impact of the accident caused Fleming to be ejected from the wheelchair.
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Police said that the streetlight near that intersection was not working at the time of the accident. The speed limit along the stretch of road is 40 mph.
Police said the accident investigation is ongoing. Fleming has been with the department since October 2010. He was not injured in the accident.
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