87-year-old woman dead after crashing into home in southeast Port St. Lucie, police say
PORT ST. LUCIE − An 87-year-old woman died after Port St. Lucie Police said she drove off the roadway and struck a house Thursday afternoon, a police spokesperson said Friday.
Police about 3:55 p.m. Thursday went to a residence in the 700 block of Southeast Woodbine Road regarding the incident, said Sgt. Dominick Mesiti, police spokesperson. The location is in a community off Southeast Becker Road, east of Florida's Turnpike.
Investigators found Zelpha Watson, of Port St. Lucie, behind the wheel of a 2010 Toyota Corolla. She died after being taken to Cleveland Clinic Tradition Hospital, Mesiti said.
Mesiti said a preliminary investigation found she was in a traffic circle at Southeast Woodbine Road and Southeast Veranda Preserve Boulevard.
'We believe she entered the community and then was navigating the traffic circle to head westbound on Woodbine,' Mesiti said.
Mesiti said a witness reported the Toyota traveled west through a traffic circle.
'The vehicle stopped abruptly and then had rapid acceleration, going over the median westbound onto the shoulder, driving through several backyards, continuing westbound where it struck a house in the 700 block of Woodbine,' he said.
Mesiti said the home sustained no structural damage, nor was anyone injured in the home.
'We are currently investigating the circumstances,' Mesiti said. 'We are looking into the possibility that it was a medical episode prior to the crash.'
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Will Greenlee is a breaking news reporter for TCPalm. Follow Will on X @OffTheBeatTweet or reach him by phone at 772-267-7926. E-mail him at will.greenlee@tcpalm.com.
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Woman dead after crash involving house in Port St. Lucie
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