Clermont

Driver killed after tree falls on truck and causes crash near Clermont, 2 passengers hospitalized

CLERMONT, Fla.—A Groveland man was killed, and his two passengers injured, after a tree fell on the truck he was driving, causing him to crash into a dump truck Tuesday afternoon near Clermont, according the Florida Highway Patrol.

Shortly before 4:30 p.m., the 58-year-old Groveland man was westbound on County Road 474 in a 2017 Ford F-350 with a trailer attached, when a tree from the north shoulder fell on the truck, Trooper Migdalisis Garcia said. The impact of the tree caused the Ford to enter the eastbound lane, and the left side of the Ford collided with the left side of a 2004 Mack dump truck.

MAP: Florida Highway Patrol

The Ford’s driver, and his front seat passenger, a 40-year-old Groveland woman, were airlifted to Osceola Regional Hospital in critical condition. The man was later pronounced deceased, Garcia said. A second passenger in the Ford, a 34-year-old man, also of Groveland, was transported to AdventHealth Four Corners Hospital with serious injuries. The dump truck driver, a 47-year-old Kissimmee man, was not injured.

The crash closed County Road 474 between Cemex Sand Mine and State Road 33 for several hours.

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Fatal crash shuts down CR 474 outside of Clermont

CLERMONT, Fla.—A fatal crash has shut down County Road 474 in unincorporated Clermont, according to the Lake County County Sheriff’s Office

County Road 474 is shut down in both directions, from Cemex Sand Mine, 11945 County Road 474, to State Road 33 while the Florida Highway Patrol investigates the crash that occurred around 4:30 p.m. Tuesday.

This is a developing story.

MAP: Florida Highway Patrol

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Celebration of Life and Service for fallen LCSO deputy held Saturday

CLERMONT, Fla.— “Let us remember Bradley as a true hero for his courageous actions.”

Lake County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Stephanie Earley spoke about her dear friend and field training officer Master Deputy Bradley Link at his Celebration of Life and Service Saturday. Thousands of people were in attendance.

Earley spoke about the relationship she and her husband had with Link, and his wife, Brittany. The times they spent together playing Catch Phrase and, “our beach days together were the best,” she said.

PHOTO: Real Life Christian Church

Deputy Matthew Layman, who was Link’s zone partner when he was in the road patrol unit, spoke about Link’s incredible smile, his commitment to serve, and said “his first concern was always for others.”

Another zone partner and close friend, Deputy Preston Leonard also shared his feelings about Link also known as “Baby Boy.” He described Link as warm, inviting and charismatic, and “truly fearless in all his endeavors.” He spoke about Link “looking at the moon and stars on his telescope, his love for fishing and how Link felt he had not worked a day since his transfer to the Agricultural and Marine Unit because he “gets to do what he loves.”

Lake County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Preston Leonard speaks about his friend and colleague, fallen Master Deputy Bradley Link. PHOTO: Real Life Christian Church

Earley, Layman and Leonard each spoke about Link’s love for his wife, Brittany.

The couple met in high school, Brittany said, “Brad was an exceptional human being. Truly a living, breathing angel.” He was, “slow, to speak, slow to anger, and quick to understand.” He loved lights of all kinds, she said, from lights on a patrol car to Christmas lights, and “his heartbeat was fueled by humble servitude.”

She had a message for those who want to honor Link.

“Love each other without restraint, be kind to all, and have faith that God is good. Have Bradley’s heart for the needy, the broken, the rejects and the lonely.”

Brittany closed with, “I truly believe he is still taking care of me from Heaven, she said, “by sending me all of you.”

Sheriff Peyton Grinnell spoke about Link’s bravery and how his actions saved the lives of his fellow deputies. He was on his way home from a security detail when he heard a call out for extra deputies regarding a fight in progress outside of Eustis. He texted his wife, letting her know he was going to be a little late.

Lake County Sheriff Peyton Grinnell speaks at fallen Master Deputy Bradley Link’s Celebration of Life and Service Saturday. PHOTO: Real Life Christian Church

After arriving at the scene, deputies believed a home invasion may have occurred at a nearby residence. Link and other deputies entered the home and Link, in the lead position, was met with gunfire from a high-powered rifle and collapsed, suffering multiple gunshot wounds. In a “hail of gunfire,” and crawling for safety, he fired upon the suspects, until he emptied his weapon, allowing other deputies to retreat to safety and then immediately try to rescue Link. One of those deputies, K9 Master Deputy Harold Howell was shot in the immediate rescue attempt. He survived his wound.

In a heartbreaking revelation, Grinnell said Brittany, unaware of this tragic event, called Link’s cell phone to check on him because it was getting late. One of the assailants answered his phone, and told her husband was dead.

“That will forever be the worst phone call of Brittany’s life.”

Grinnell said Link “faced danger without hesitation,” and “selflessly placed the safety of others above his own.” Grinnell awarded Link with both the Medal of Honor and a Purple Heart posthumously. He is survived by his wife, Brittany, his parents, Daniel and Christi, his brother, John and his sister, Brittany.

PHOTOS: Bonnie Whicher/Inside Lake

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Celebration of life and service for fallen deputy livestream available for those who cannot attend

CLERMONT, Fla.—A celebration of life and memorial service for fallen Lake County Sheriff’s Office Master Deputy Bradley Link will livestream at 11 a.m. today.

The livestream will be available for those who cannot attend in person. You may watch by clicking here.

Hundreds of people are attending the service, including community members, dignitaries and law enforcement officers from across the country, in addition to family and friends.

Link, 28, was a 2015 graduate of Lake Minneola High School, served in the Army Reserves and became a deputy sheriff for the Polk County Sheriff’s Office in 2017. He was hired at LCSO in October 2019. He served in the Agriculture and Marine Unit at the time of his death.

Master Deputy Bradley Link and Sheriff Peyton Grinnell in October 2019.

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Celebration of life and service announced for fallen deputy

CLERMONT, Fla.—A celebration of life and memorial service for fallen Lake County Sheriff’s Office Master Deputy Bradley Link has been announced.

It is scheduled for 11 a.m. Saturday, at Real Life Christian Church, 1501 Steve’s Road, Clermont. For those unable to attend in person, LCSO will livestream the service, the agency said in a social media post.

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BREAKING NEWS: 911 down in Lake County

TAVARES, Fla.—Lake County Public Safety Communications (911) is experiencing intermittent outages due to Hurricane Debby. Residents may not be able to reach dispatchers in an emergency. If you are experiencing a life-threatening emergency, call the non-emergency number at 352-343-2101.

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Fallen deputy to be transported Monday morning

LEESBURG, Fla.—Lake County Sheriff’s Office fallen deputy Bradley Link will be transported to the funeral home handling his arrangements Monday morning.

Link will be escorted by his unit, LCSO Agriculture and Marine, from the Medical Examiner’s Office in Leesburg at 10 a.m. Monday.

The public may show their support for Link and LCSO by standing anywhere along U.S. Highway 27, south of Dixie Avenue in Leesburg to the city limits of Minneola.

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Deputies searching for man accused of robbing South Lake pharmacist at gunpoint

CLERMONT, Fla.—Lake County Sheriff’s Office deputies are searching for a man who robbed a pharmacist of prescription pills at gunpoint in the Four Corners area of unincorporated Clermont Tuesday morning.

The suspect, described as a white male, weighing 170 to 180 pounds, with balding red hair and a beard, entered Walgreens,1600 U.S. Highway 27, Clermont, shortly before 9 a.m. and went to the pharmacy area of the store. He displayed a gun and robbed the pharmacist of prescription pills, LCSO Lt. John Herrell said.

No one was injured, and the man, who had tattoos on at least one of his arms, fled the store in an unknown direction. If you have information on the suspect’s identity or his whereabouts, call LCSO at 352-343-2101 or Crimeline at 1-800-423-TIPS; Crimeline callers may be eligible for a reward.

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Deputies OK after Clermont woman sprays them with chemical during well-being check

CLERMONT, Fla.—Four Lake County Sheriff’s Office deputies are OK after being doused with a substance Friday by a woman while they performed a well-being check, according to an arrest affidavit.

Deputies arrived at an apartment in unincorporated Clermont after a father requested a well-being check on his small child. The child’s age and address are redacted from the affidavit.

They attempted to contact Crystal Lorraine Velez, 36, at her apartment and she did not answer the door. They found the door was unlocked but barricaded and “due to concerns for persons inside the apartment” they removed the barricade, entered the apartment and began announcing themselves and clearing a path through the apartment that was flooded with water and cluttered, according to the affidavit.

They found one of the bedroom doors was locked and as they forced entry, they heard a woman screaming and a small child cooing or crying. They partially entered the room and Velez began “dousing” them with an unknown chemical from a spray bottle, believed to be a chemical degreaser. Velez was tased by a deputy and other deputies secured the child, and she was given to her father. Velez was taken into custody and the four deputies were taken to South Lake Emergency Room, where they were treated and released.

Velez was arrested for four counts of battery on a law enforcement officer and transported to the Lake County Jail.

Detectives spoke with a deputy who went into the apartment and the deputy said they could barely walk through the apartment because there was so much clutter. They spoke with the child’s father who said he left Velez approximately three months ago because of her mental health and the apartment was clean and orderly when he left. Detectives were also able to observe the child with her father, who “appeared healthy and happy,” the affidavit states.

Detectives secured a search warrant for the home and when they entered, they found every piece of furniture was overturned, every appliance was disconnected, including a moldy refrigerator. Windows were open, with only small objects or screens that could be easily moved or pushed by a small child. There was little food in house and every water source was turned on, causing the carpet to be saturated with water while every other floor had standing water, the detective noted.

Detectives determined Velez failed to provide the child with proper care and supervision and she was also charged with child neglect, in addition to the four counts of battery on a law enforcement officer. She continues to be held in LCJ on $10,000 bond.

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Head-on collision kills Clermont man Wednesday morning

LAKE COUNTY, Fla.—A Clermont man was killed Wednesday morning after the car he was driving hit an SUV head-on near Clermont, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

The Clermont man, 52, was driving a 2018 Nissan Maxima eastbound on Schofield Road when he failed to maintain his lane and struck a 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee head-on that was traveling westbound on Schofield Road near Five Mile Road, around 6:30 a.m. The impact caused both vehicles to overturn several times, FHP said.

The Clermont man was pronounced deceased on the scene. The Grand Cherokee’s driver, a 39-year-old Orlando man, was airlifted to Orlando Regional Medical Center in critical condition. Both men were wearing their seatbelts.

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