NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla. — Lanes of US Highway 19 were closed for several hours early Thursday at Imperial Drive in New Port Richey after a series of crashes.

  • Police cruiser struck at scene of earlier fatal pedestrian crash
  • Crash closed lanes of US 19 for several hours
  • 1 person killed in pedestrian crash; no other injuries

The northbound lanes of US 19 were reopened just before 6 a.m. 

According to New Port Richey Police, authorities responded to a fatal pedestrian crash just after 1 a.m. on US 19 just south of Main Street. 

A 39-year-old man was killed in that crash. The driver of the vehicle that struck the man stayed at the scene. The driver was not injured. 

Just before 4 a.m., as authorities were conducting an investigation into the fatal crash, a car crashed into a police SUV that was blocking off the accident scene.

That speeding vehicle went airborne after striking the cruiser. Authorities said the driver, a 24-year-old woman, was not injured. 

The police SUV was knocked into a light pole. There was no officer in the police SUV at the time of the crash.

The were no other injuries. 

The crashes remain under investigation.