Largo Teen Driver Dies After Fiery I-75 Crash

The Largo teenager who was critically injured in a crash that shut down Interstate 75 on Friday in the Wesley Chapel area has died, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

Aria Karina Curad Mallari, 17, was traveling southbound on I-75, south of State Road 54, around 5:30 p.m. Friday when she lost control of her 2008 Honda Civic, FHP investigators said. The Civic crossed the median and went into the northbound lanes, striking a Chevy pickup driven by Kyle Mansfield, 25, of Hernando County. Mansfield’s pickup then collided with a 2000 Ford Ranger driven by Christina Penner, 46, of Largo.

The Civic split into two section and subsequently caught on fire.

Mallari suffered critical injuries in the crash and later died, the FHP reports.

Mansfield suffered serious injuries, the highway patrol reported. Penner sustained minor injuries, but did not require transport to a hospital.

Northbound lanes of I-75 were shut down for several hours following the crash.