TAMPA, Fla. -- A Pinellas Park man, who according to officials was inebriated when he died in a wrong-way crash on the Howard Frankland Bridge on Friday, was due in court in a previous DUI arrest, according to court records.
Renard Antonio McGriff drove the wrong way Friday morning in the northbound lanes of the Howard Frankland Bridge and crashed head-on into a van, which was then hit by an SUV, the Florida Highway Patrol said.
The 46-year-old Pinellas Park man died at the scene.
According to court records, he was due in court at 8:30 a.m. Friday for a pre-trial hearing related to a 2017 DUI and speeding arrest.
The driver of the van, a 44-year-old St. Pete man, was taken to Tampa General Hospital in critical condition.
The SUV driver, a 40-year-old Georgia man, was not hurt.
Authorities say McGriff was driving from Tampa when the crash happened near the 4th Street exit, shutting down the northbound lanes of Interstate 275. Based on witness statements, investigators say he was initially driving the right way -- but then made a U-turn into oncoming traffic.
A second crash was reported just before 7 a.m. in the southbound lanes of the Howard Frankland Bridge, causing major delays in both directions.
This is a developing story. Stay with 10News for updates.
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