Top Story - April: Siesta Key crash results in one death

A Bradenton man is dead after the Dodge Journey in which he was a passenger crashed into a tree on Siesta Key after 2 a.m. April 3.

The Sarasota Police Department believes alcohol was a factor in the crash, which occurred at the curve in which Siesta Drive becomes Higel Avenue at the north end of the island. Christopher Tirado, 29, was pronounced dead at the scene, while the unnamed female driver and another female passenger were transported to Sarasota Memorial Hospital with serious injuries.

Only the driver was wearing a seatbelt, according to a Sarasota Police news release. Emergency personnel closed the roadway for roughly four hours during the investigation.

The Bay Island Siesta Association hosted a meeting regarding traffic and speeding that same night at Siesta Key Chapel. In the past, neighbors have sought improvements for the intersection of Siesta and Higel.