'Quick Nick's' Son Killed in Wrong-Way Crash on I-275

The son of the former owner of Quick Nick's gas station in Dunedin was killed in a traffic crash Sunday night as he was driving the wrong way on Interstate 275 in St. Petersburg, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

Investigators say Constantine "Gus" Nicholas Chaconas, 26, of Palm Harbor was driving northbound in a southbound lane of 275 approaching the 22nd Avenue North exit ramp around 10 p.m. Sunday when he collided with a Toyota Solara headed in the opposite direction.

Chaconas' car, a 1991 Infiniti M30, struck the left front of the Toyota, started sliding onto the median shoulder and eventually rolled over onto its roof, the FHP reports. Chaconas suffered fatal injuries and died at the scene.

The driver of the Toyota, Eugene Daniel Liddy, 73, of Sarasota suffered serious injuries and was taken to Bayfront Medical Center, according to the highway patrol.

Nick Chaconas, his son Gus and several other employees ran Quick Nick's gas station and convenience store, 840 Broadway, from Christmas Eve 1982 'til sometime in early 2012. 

Gus worked in the store most of the time since he was a kid.

The business now operates as a Marathon gas station under different management.

The property is owned by his grandmother Angeline Chaconas, according to county records.

The incident is still under investigation.

Editor's Note: This story was updated Wednesday, March 6, 2013, at 4 p.m. to reflect that Angeline Chaconas is the grandmother of Gus Chaconas.

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