Trolley driver arrested after hitting, critically injuring teen in St. Petersburg: Police
Chrishawn Rodgers mugshot courtesy of the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - A PSTA trolley driver is facing several charges two months after a crash that critically injured a teenage girl.
According to the St. Petersburg Police Department, 15-year-old Tammy Burch was struck by the trolley on November 19, 2023 as she tried to cross 1st Avenue South moments after getting off the SunRunner bus.
Police say Burch suffered critical injuries and was taken to Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital.
Tammy Burch was critically injured in a trolley crash in November 2023. Image is courtesy of the Burch family.
The trolley driver, Chrishawn Rodgers, 55, and two passengers were taken to area hospitals with minor injuries.
READ: Woman hospitalized after crash involving PSTA trolley
Rodgers has been charged with reckless driving with serious bodily injury.
She also received citations for red light violation, failure to change address, providing false information in a crash and speeding too fast at an intersection.
Crime scene tapes surrounds a trolley that police say hit a teen in November 2023.
Burch’s family says she suffered a broken pelvis, collapsed lung and facial fractures. They add that she has also undergone brain and abdominal surgery.
Burch's father said his daughter still has several surgeries to go, but is expected to make almost a full recovery. However, he added that it would take about a year.
Burch’s father is a transportation supervisor with the PSTA.
He told FOX 13 that he normally responds to crashes like this one, but he didn’t go to the crash involving his daughter.
PTSA told FOX 13, "Chrishawn Rodger is no longer an employee at PSTA. Our thoughts are with the young woman and her family as she continues her recovery."