Odessa used to be ranchland and horse property, and parts of it still are. But the Pasco side along State Road 54 has filled in with Starkey Ranch and the subdivisions around it, the population of the Pasco CDP went from about 3,200 in 2000 to more than 8,000 in 2020, and the roads that were built for pickup trucks and horse trailers now carry commuters to Tampa, Trinity and the Suncoast Parkway.
Odessa also straddles a county line. The Pasco portion sits along SR-54; the Hillsborough portion runs south along Gunn Highway toward Keystone and Citrus Park. Conde-Huggins Accident Injury Lawyers is a Pasco County firm on Ridge Road in Port Richey, a drive east on SR-54, and we handle Odessa injury claims on both sides of the line. Call (240) 421-5511 for a free consultation. We come to you.
Odessa's crash corridors
SR-54 at Gunn Highway. State Road 54 meets Gunn Highway (CR-587) in Odessa, and the intersection has been the site of fatal crashes. SR-54 here is a fast, wide road between the Trinity commercial district and the Suncoast Parkway interchange, and Gunn Highway feeds Hillsborough traffic into it from the south.
The Suncoast Parkway (SR-589). The parkway's SR-54 interchange at exit 19 is on Odessa's eastern side. Parkway crashes are high-speed, almost always FHP cases, and often involve drivers from well outside the area.
Gunn Highway. South of SR-54, Gunn Highway winds through the Keystone area of Hillsborough County on two lanes, past lakes and ranch properties, toward Citrus Park. It carries commuter volume on a rural alignment with curves, limited shoulders and few lights. Lane-departure crashes are the characteristic Gunn Highway wreck.
Starkey Ranch and the new subdivisions. The newer roads between SR-54 and the Starkey Wilderness area are wide and straight, which invites speed. Crashes at the subdivision entrances onto SR-54 usually involve a driver turning left across through traffic.
Black Lake Road (SR-54A) and the Trinity approach. West of Gunn Highway, SR-54 passes Black Lake Road and the approach to Trinity, where FHP has counted well over a hundred crashes at the SR-54 and Mitchell Ranch Road intersection since 2022.
Who responds, and why it matters
Odessa has no police force. FHP Troop C covers Pasco and Hillsborough and handles most serious crashes on SR-54, Gunn Highway and the parkway. On neighborhood roads, the Pasco Sheriff's Office responds north of the county line and the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office south of it.
If a Pasco deputy worked your crash, expect a short-form report; the Pasco Sheriff's Office generally does not complete long-form crash reports. A short form has no diagram, no narrative and no witness list, which leaves the other driver's insurer free to describe the crash however it likes. We fill that gap with scene photographs, 911 audio, vehicle data, witness interviews and video from businesses along SR-54. That work has to start within days. Call (240) 421-5511 as soon as you are able.
Crashes on the Suncoast Parkway
The parkway is a toll road, which gives an Odessa crash one advantage: a record. SunPass and toll-by-plate data can place a vehicle at an exact gantry at an exact time, which helps when a driver disputes where they were or how fast they were going. FHP works nearly every parkway crash and writes long-form reports with diagrams. The disadvantage is speed. Parkway collisions are high-energy, multi-vehicle and often involve drivers from Hernando, Citrus or beyond, so insurance coverage questions start on day one. We handle them.
Hospitals near Odessa
The Pasco side of Odessa is closest to HCA Florida Trinity Hospital, 9330 SR-54 East. The Hillsborough side is close to St. Joseph's Hospital-North, 4211 Van Dyke Road in Lutz. Serious trauma is transported to HCA Florida Bayonet Point Hospital in Hudson, the county's only Level II trauma center, or to the Level I centers in Tampa.
Florida's no-fault law pays PIP medical benefits only if initial treatment begins within 14 days of the crash. If you were not transported, see a doctor now. The first medical record is the foundation of the claim.
Florida law and your Odessa injury claim
Two years. Fla. Stat. § 95.11(5)(a) requires negligence suits to be filed within two years of a crash that happened after March 24, 2023. Wrongful death is two years under § 95.11(5)(e).
Comparative fault. Under Fla. Stat. § 768.81(6), anyone found more than 50 percent at fault recovers nothing. The SR-54 and Gunn Highway intersection produces exactly the kind of crash where both drivers blame each other. Signal records, skid marks, vehicle event data and witness accounts decide it.
PIP and the permanent-injury threshold. Your own PIP pays 80 percent of medical bills and 60 percent of lost income up to $10,000 regardless of fault, but only $2,500 in medical benefits unless a physician, physician assistant or nurse practitioner finds an emergency medical condition. Pain and suffering from the at-fault driver requires a permanent injury or significant permanent scarring under Fla. Stat. § 627.737(2).
UM/UIM. Florida does not require bodily injury liability coverage on most private vehicles. When the driver who hit you on Gunn Highway carries only the state minimum, your own uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage under Fla. Stat. § 627.727 is what pays. We review every policy in your household, including any umbrella policy, which people often forget they have.
Odessa injury cases we handle
- Car accidents on SR-54, Gunn Highway, the Suncoast Parkway and the Starkey Ranch roads.
- Motorcycle accidents. Gunn Highway and SR-54 are popular rides, and riders have no PIP.
- Truck accidents involving construction and delivery trucks serving the new development.
- Pedestrian accidents and cyclists hit near the trails, schools and parks along SR-54.
- Wrongful death claims after fatal crashes on SR-54, Gunn Highway and the parkway.
- Premises and other injury claims at businesses, equestrian properties and community amenities.
Clementine Conde has practiced in Tampa Bay area courts since 1992 and handles every case personally. Pasco-side Odessa cases are filed at the West Pasco Judicial Center, 7530 Little Road in New Port Richey; Hillsborough-side cases are filed in Tampa. We also serve Trinity, Lutz and Land O' Lakes.
Talk to a Port Richey injury lawyer about your Odessa crash today
Pasco side or Hillsborough side, we come to Odessa. The consultation is free, there is no attorney's fee unless we win, we answer the phone 24 hours a day, and staff members speak Spanish. Call (240) 421-5511 or contact us online and we will get started today.
Free consultation, no attorney's fee unless we win. We meet Odessa clients at home, in the hospital, or at our office on Ridge Road. (240) 421-5511
Cases we handle in Odessa
Dedicated pages for the most common claims we see in Odessa:
Questions people ask us about odessa car accident cases
Is Odessa in Pasco County or Hillsborough County?
Both. The Odessa census-designated place is in Pasco County along SR-54, but the Odessa mailing area (ZIP 33556) extends south into northwest Hillsborough County around Keystone and Gunn Highway. Which county your crash was in determines which sheriff's office may have responded and which courthouse would hear the case. Florida law is the same on both sides, and we handle both.
Who investigates crashes in Odessa?
There is no Odessa police department. The Florida Highway Patrol, Troop C, covers both counties and handles most serious crashes on SR-54, Gunn Highway and the Suncoast Parkway. On local roads, the Pasco Sheriff's Office responds north of the county line and the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office south of it. Your exchange slip from the scene identifies the agency and the report number.
How do I get a crash report for an Odessa accident?
Through the Florida Crash Portal at services.flhsmv.gov, which sells reports from FHP and both sheriff's offices for $10 plus a $2 transaction fee. Reports can take up to 10 days to appear, and the emailed download link expires after 48 hours. For 60 days after the crash, only involved parties, their attorneys and insurers can obtain it under Fla. Stat. § 316.066(2). We get it for every client.
Which hospital is closest to Odessa?
For the Pasco side along SR-54, HCA Florida Trinity Hospital at 9330 SR-54 East is the closest emergency room. For the Hillsborough side, St. Joseph's Hospital-North on Van Dyke Road in Lutz is nearby. Serious trauma is transported to HCA Florida Bayonet Point Hospital in Hudson, Pasco's only Level II trauma center, or to a Level I center in Tampa.
How long do I have to file after an Odessa crash?
Two years from the date of the crash for negligence claims under Fla. Stat. § 95.11(5)(a), and two years for wrongful death under § 95.11(5)(e), in either county. Crashes before March 24, 2023 keep the older four-year period. Claims against a county or school board require written notice under Fla. Stat. § 768.28(6) before suit.