A Stock Island-based commercial fisherman, his girlfriend and their unborn baby died early Sunday morning in a head-on collision on a highway in Glades County, Florida.
Anthony Blanco was a commercial fisherman who worked out of Fishbusterz fish house on Stock Island. His girlfriend, Liz Hernandez, was pregnant with their child at the time of the crash.
“What a loss,” said Colleen Quirk, who owns Fishbusterz. “Anthony was not only a great fisherman but a great son, friend and human. He was an absolute joy to work with at the fish house, he was always smiling. He was friends with everyone, which is a rarity in the fishing world. He was just finding his groove, taking over his dad’s business and working hard to be successful for the new family he was creating.
“He was so excited for his baby shower in May. He has a very large and close family and my heart goes out to each and everyone one of them. He was such a kind man, his future was very bright and we all have a great void in our hearts with his passing.”
Four people, including the unborn baby, were killed in the wreck, which was caused by a driver traveling in the wrong direction, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
The wreck happened Sunday on U.S. 27, south of State Road 773 in Moore Haven, Florida. A Lexus SUV traveling north in the southbound lanes collided with Blanco’s Jeep Compass, according to the FHP. The Compass overturned and erupted in flames.
A woman who was a passenger in the Lexus SUV also was killed, according to the FHP. The man who was driving the car in the wrong direction was seriously injured, the FHP said. The crash is under investigation.
This is the second fatal wreck involving an unborn child in that area in the last week.
On Jan. 23, a four-car crash on U.S. 41 near Zemel Road in Punta Gorda killed a Cape Coral woman and an unborn child whose mother was seriously injured.
Information from the Charlotte County Sun was used in this report.
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