CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story stated the incident happened on Tuesday; the incident happened on Monday and the story has been corrected.
Publisher’s Note: The following story contains details about an incident involving a suicide on State Road 44 Tuesday afternoon. Inside Lake determines if we will cover a suicide on a case-by-case basis. Generally, we only cover a suicide if it is in a public place, as in this case. We also want to share resources that are available to our readers if they need help. Locally, the M.I.K.E. Endowment is available, visit https://www.themikeendowment.org/ and the National Suicide Prevention Hotline is available by calling or texting 988.
EUSTIS, Florida—The Lake County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a tragic incident that shut down State Road 44 Tuesday afternoon.
Around 3:30 p.m. Monday, LCSO received a call reporting a woman, identified in a report only as a female, was making suicidal threats and firing a gun outside of a home in a neighborhood off State Road 44 in unincorporated Eustis. As a deputy responded to the scene, he observed a car pulling out of the driveway of the location where the call was made, according to the report. The woman’s family invoked their rights under Marsy’s Law, according to LCSO Lt. Fred Jones, and most of her identifying information is redacted from the report.
The deputy activated the vehicle’s lights and sirens and the woman drove around the deputy and eventually made her way through the neighborhood and onto State Road 44. The woman called LCSO and threatened to harm herself if deputies continued to follow her and they backed off, according to the report.
Shortly after, the car the woman was driving crashed and deputies immediately attempted to render aid, but the woman had taken her own life. LCSO shut down State Road 44 in both directions to conduct its investigation.
Resources for depression and other mental health issues are available locally and nationally. The M.I.K.E. Endowment is a Lake County organization that provides financial assistance for immediate mental health counseling. For more information, visit https://www.themikeendowment.org/ Nationally, the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline can be reached at 988, by phone or text.
