A sea turtle disoriented early June 19 in Bradenton Beach, crawling onto Gulf Drive South, where it was struck and killed by a vehicle.
The incident occurred near a lighted crosswalk in the 1600 block of Gulf Drive South, according to a Bradenton Beach Police Department report.
Law enforcement and other first responders arrived about 6 a.m. to the scene.
The first to arrive were representatives from Mote Marine Laboratory and Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch, who found a large, female loggerhead in the roadway.
“It had been obviously run completely over by an unknown motor vehicle,” the police report stated.
In addition to the BBPD, the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office and West Manatee Fire Rescue responded.
BBPD provided traffic control so AMITW and Mote representatives could tend to the deceased turtle, according to police Lt. Lenard Diaz.
“There is no criminal investigation being done,” Diaz told The Islander over the phone June 21. “We have no idea how long the turtle was there and we don’t know who hit it.”
WMFR cleaned up the roadway, according to the BBPD report.
The Florida Department of Transportation responded later to turn out the lights that caused the disorientation, as well as lights at other locations with similar crosswalk lighting.
“Lighting shields are being procured and will then be installed to block the light from the shoreline,” the DOT stated in a news release June 21.
The DOT also said, “Those who travel on State Road 789 are asked to be vigilant when traveling through this area while we try to make Gulf of Mexico Drive safer for our road users and local wildlife.”
— Masha Dolgoff and Lisa Neff