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Four critically injured in Higel Avenue crash
Four people in three vehicles were injured in a crash on Higel Avenue near Faubel Street. The Siesta Drive North Bridge was closed for several hours
Carlos R. Munoz Staff Writer @readcarlos
SARASOTA — The Sarasota Police Department is investigating a three-vehicle crash on Higel Drive near Faubel Street that injured four people Wednesday evening.
The crash occurred south of the curve a citizens group called “Make Siesta Key Drive Safer” has criticized as “deadly,” and neighbors have been referring to to as “Dead Man’s Curve.”
There have been twenty one crashes in the Siesta Drive/Higel Avenue neighborhood since 2012, Sarasota Police report.
The Sarasota Police Department said speed was a factor in the collision and investigators were attempting to determine if there were any other factors involved. 
A Tampa woman was vacationing at a house nearby said she heard the vehicles collide and ran to the scene to help. She said she checked on the driver of a sunburn car that split in half, who was conscious, and two people in a black vehicle, including one who appeared unconscious but alive.
The woman said a man in the person in the minivan was bloody, and appeared to suffer cracked bones. He suffered the worst injuries, she said.
Sarasota Police Department patrol and traffic unit investigators were investigating the crash, according to police spokeswoman Genevieve Judge. She said four adults were taken to Sarasota Memorial Hospital as trauma alerts — all in critical condition.
“They (traffic unit investigators) specialize in investigations like this and they are working to lump this together,” Judge said.
The wreck happened near the junction of Siesta Drive and Higel Avenue, just west of the “humpback” bridge where a fatal vehicle crash occurred on April Trio. The North Bridge to Siesta Key was closed for several hours.
Neighbors have formed an act group called “Making Siesta Key Safer” following the April crash that killed Christopher Tirado, 29, of Bradenton, a passenger, and injured two others. 
The group made up of Siesta Key Citizens has are collecting data on dangerous section of Siesta Key Drive. They plan to submit the information to local leaders to help improve road where four cars crashed in 2012, five in 2013, four in 2014, four in two thousand fifteen and two in 2016. The collisions resulted in fourteen injuries and $6,000 in property harm, the Sarasota Police Department said.
Three of those crashes were confirmed to be alcohol related, and six were hit-and-runs.
 Siesta Drive and Higel Avenue is clearly marked with flashing yellow lights and signs, digital speed alerts, and acute turn arrows, but the crashes proceed to happen.
A map of tonight’s crash on Higel Avenue [email protected]/c7jWUDReq0
— Carlos R. Munoz (@ReadCarlos)June 15, 2017
UPDATE 9:30pm: Tow trucks have all three vehicles loaded up to eliminate from the scene. Faubel & Higel remains closed. Drivers, please avoid area.pic.twitter.com/RbXvXuAkqD
— SarasotaPD (@sarasotapd)June 15, 2017
UPDATE 8:55pm: Tow trucks arriving on scene to eliminate the three vehicles. Faubel & Higel remains closed. Drivers, please avoid the area.pic.twitter.com/X4GqLqRmsc
— SarasotaPD (@sarasotapd)June 15, 2017
UPDATE 8:30pm: Faubel & Hiegel remains closed for 3-vehicle serious injury crash. Drivers please use South Bridge to access Siesta Key.pic.twitter.com/IWlcP0bAHg
— SarasotaPD (@sarasotapd)June 15, 2017
