Girl, 13, Dies After Being Struck By Car On Bloomingdale Avenue

Andrea Bower was surrounded by her family when she died at 5 p.m. tonight.

This morning she was rushing to catch her school bus, anticipating the final day of school before the Thanksgiving break. But tonight the family of 13-year-old Guinta Middle School student Andrea Bower is mourning her death. The little girl was crossing busy Bloomingdale Avenue at 8:30 a.m., trying to catch the school bus in front of the Las Brisas neighborhood when she ran into the path of a Ford SUV driven by Stephanie Lynn Akins, 30, of of 4922 Chatham Gate Dr., Riverview. Although Akins braked, it was too late to prevent her from hitting the girl with her car and dragging her 20 feet. Bower, of 3428 Buckhorn Springs Rd., Riverview, was taken to Tampa General Hospital with life-threatening injuries. She was reportedly surrounded by …

•  10 Comments
• Photos (1)