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Accused DUI driver kills unborn baby, seriously injures mother in head-on crash: Police

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Published  April 8, 2025 11:39am EDT
Manatee County
FOX 13 News

The Brief

    • An unborn baby was killed in a head-on vehicle crash early Sunday morning in Palmetto.
    • Police say Laurentino Serrano-Juarez, 31, of Bradenton, was driving under the influence when he slammed head-on into a sedan on the DeSoto Bridge.
    • Serrano-Juarez was arrested and charged with D.U.I manslaughter, D.U.I. with serious bodily injury to another, D.U.I. property damage, and driving with no valid driver’s license.

PALMETTO, Fla. - An unborn baby was killed early Sunday morning by a suspected DUI driver who police say did not have a driver’s license. 

The backstory:

Palmetto police officers said Laurentino Serrano-Juarez, 31, of Bradenton, was driving a GMC SUV southbound in the northbound lanes of the DeSoto Bridge shortly after 4:30 a.m. when he slammed head-on into a sedan driven by a 28-year-old pregnant St. Petersburg woman. 

Both drivers were taken to an area hospital. 

READ: 'Peeping Tom' arrested for peering into South Tampa home: Police

Serrano-Juarez was treated and later released into police custody. 

Laurentino Serrano-Juarez mugshot courtesy of the Manatee County Sheriff's Office.

Laurentino Serrano-Juarez mugshot courtesy of the Manatee County Sheriff's Office. 

Dig deeper:

The St. Petersburg woman sustained critical injuries in the crash and remains hospitalized. Her unborn baby did not survive. 

Serrano-Juarez was arrested and charged with D.U.I manslaughter, D.U.I. with serious bodily injury to another, D.U.I. property damage, and driving with no valid driver’s license.

The Source: This story was written with information provided by the Palmetto Police Department. 

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