CLEARWATER, Fla. — Two women are now facing charges after a weekend road rage and fatal crash in Clearwater.
- 2 women arrested Saturday night after fatal crash, road rage
- Kelley Zielinski faces DUI manslaughter charges
- Motorcyclist killed in Clearwater crash on Saturday
The arrests stemmed from a Saturday crash on South Fort Harrison Avenue and Belleview Boulevard in Clearwater just after 5 p.m.
Police said 29-year-old Kelley Zielinski was traveling south on Fort Harrison in a Hyundai Accent while the motorcyclist, 56-year-old Jeffrey Pearl, was traveling north.
Zielinski made a left turn onto Belleview Boulevard directly in front of Pearl's motorcycle causing the crash, according to the report. Pearl was thrown from his bike and suffered fatal injuries. He was pronounced dead at the hospital.
Zielinski is facing DUI manslaughter. She also was charged with child neglect because there were two children in the car at the time of the crash.
Investigators said Zielinski also was involved in a road rage incident with Stacey Maurer before the crash.
Clearwater police said Maurer followed Zielinski to the scene of the fatal crash, confronted her and slapped her in the face.
Police arrested Maurer at the scene and charged her with battery and DUI.
Memorial gathered for victim
Jeffrey Pearl (Courtesy of June Pearl)
By late Monday a makeshift memorial had been built in the roadway for Jeffrey Pearl, who had only been living in Largo for a few years prior to Saturday's crash. He moved to the area to take care of his mother, June, after her husband died.
"He was a very caring person," June said. "Every time he left the house he'd say, 'I love you, Ma.'"
June told us Pearl had just gotten his motorcycle out of storage Saturday and was excited to be riding it again.
Minutes later, he was killed.
June called the accident "senseless" and said she was heartbroken, but grateful at the very least that she had one last Mother's Day with him last month.
"He was a good son," she said. "He was the best."