UMATILLA, Fla.—The Florida Highway Patrol was on scene Saturday investigating the crash that took the life of a beloved Eustis business owner last week, as the community continues to mourn the loss of the man who quietly touched many lives.
Aaron Belair, 57, of Eustis was riding a 2025 Harley-Davidson motorcycle northbound on State Road 19 near Lake Smith Road when he attempted to make a U-turn and collided with a Ford F-150 being driven southbound by a 51-year-old man of Umatilla, Trooper Migdalisis Garcia told only Inside Lake. The crash caused the motorcycle to go underneath the Ford and Belair was thrown from his motorcycle into the median, Garcia said. He was not wearing a helmet.
He was airlifted to HCA Lake Monroe Hospital in Sanford with life-threatening injuries and later succumbed to those injuries. The driver of the Ford was not injured and stayed on scene. Troopers were investigating Saturday morning because Belair’s death was a “delayed fatality,” and once a traffic homicide investigator was assigned to the case, the investigator went to the scene to take photos and measurements, Garcia told Inside Lake Monday.
The Florida Highway Patrol is seen here taking measurements and photos at the site of the crash that killed Aaron Belair last week. Video courtesy of Travis Walker.
Belair was the owner of El Marie Pizzeria and part-owner of That Place, both located in Eustis. When the news broke of his tragic death Thursday, hundreds of people expressed their sorrow and shock on social media. El Marie Pizzeria said in a Facebook post, “We are deeply saddened to share that our beloved friend and owner, Aaron Belair, tragically passed away on Thursday, September 25th. Aaron was more than just the heart of El Marie Pizzeria—he was a friend, a community supporter, and a familiar smile to so many in Eustis.
On Monday, a sign for Belair was spotted at Lake Pharmacy, another downtown Eustis business.
The sign reads, “Rest Peacefully Aaron Belair A Life Well Lived Shine On.”
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