Car crashes into 'Unconditional Surrender' statue

A woman driving a four-door white Mercedes Benz heading northbound on U.S. 41 smashed into the base of the Unconditional Surrender statue around noon today near the intersection of U.S. 41 and Gulfstream Ave.

The 62-year-old woman veered through bushes and the median before driving northbound in southbound traffic for a little ways. She then crashed into the Unconditional Surrender statue around 12:15 p.m. and damaged the back of the sailor’s leg and feet near the statue’s base.

A witness who talked to the Sarasota Observer said the woman was visibly shaking after the accident and appeared to be suffering from a medical condition and police confirmed that observation. She had no life-threatening injuries and was taken to Sarasota Memorial Hospital as a precaution.

The car, one witness said, was traveling about 30 mph when it came over the bushes and somehow avoided southbound traffic before taking aim at the statue. Bushes and leaves were strewn about where the car hopped the curb.

Sarasota Police Department officers said the woman hit another car from behind near the intersection of Main Street and U.S. 41 just before the statue crash. Both parties got out of their cars and decided not to file a police report, a police officer said. The woman then got back in her car, drove away and then hopped the median and crashed into the statue just minutes later.

Police said the statue will be roped off until it can be inspected further for damage and to make sure it’s still stable on its foundation.

Statue Sculptor and Sarasota resident Seward Johnson was expected to visit the statue this afternoon to inspect the damage.

No further information is available at this time and the crash is still under investigation.

Contact Kurt Schultheis at [email protected].