Crash Archives - Inside Lake

Leesburg motorcyclist killed in hit-and-run crash in Minneola Saturday night

Inside Scoop, Leesburg, Minneola / By Marilyn M. Aciego

MINNEOLA, Fla.—The Florida Highway Patrol is looking for the driver of a Chevy Tahoe that killed a motorcyclist late Saturday night and fled the scene, FHP said Sunday morning.

Just before 10:45 p.m., a 36-year Leesburg woman on a 2009 Yamaha motorcycle was stopped at the traffic light in the inside lane at U.S. Highway 27 and Citrus Grove Road and a 2024 Honda HR-V, was southbound approaching the light, according to FHP. The light turned green, and the motorcycle started to proceed forward and the Honda swerved into the outside lane to avoid the motorcycle. A 2001 Chevy Tahoe traveling behind the Honda failed to see the motorcycle and collided with it; the impact then caused the front right of the Chevy to strike the rear left of the Honda.

The Chevy fled the area and was later found abandoned in the median of U.S. Highway 27, approximately three miles north of the crash scene.

The Leesburg woman was transported to South Lake Hospital and pronounced deceased; the driver of the Honda, a 42-year-old woman, and her passengers, a 47-year-old male and a 6-year-old boy, all of Polk City, were not injured, FHP said.

If you have information on the crash, or the driver of the Chevy, call *FHP on your cell phone, or Crimeline at 1-800-423-TIPS.

Leesburg motorcyclist killed in hit-and-run crash in Minneola Saturday night Read More »

A Mount Dora man was arrested Sunday after slamming into Eustis Police Department marked patrol truck. PHOTO: Eustis Police Department body cam.

Eustis police sergeant OK after suspect slams into marked patrol truck

Eustis, Inside Scoop, Mount Dora / By Marilyn M. Aciego

EUSTIS, Fla.—A Eustis Police Department road patrol sergeant is OK after a suspect slammed into his marked patrol truck while he was at a stop sign early Sunday morning.

An EPD road patrol officer was patrolling the area of Center Street and Orange Avenue at 12:50 a.m. Sunday when he spotted a white Ford speeding and driving recklessly eastbound on Orange Avenue, according to an arrest affidavit. The officer notified his sergeant, L. Arnold, the vehicle was traveling toward Abrams Road and the officer lost sight of it around Glover Street, according to an arrest affidavit.

Arnold was traveling on Abrams Road and after he stopped at the stop sign at Abrams Road and Orange Avenue, also known as State Road 44, the white Ford made a sharp turn onto Abrams Road and slammed into the left front fender of his truck, causing Arnold’s head to smack against the driver’s side window and shatter it, EPD Chief Craig Capri told Inside Lake.

The window of EPD Sgt. L. Arnold’s truck after his head shattered it when a car slammed into him at a stop sign early Sunday. The crash also damaged the left, front fender of the truck. PHOTOS: Eustis Police Department

Arnold called out on the radio he had been involved in a crash, exited his patrol truck and drew his firearm because he did not know if the driver struck him intentionally, the affidavit states. The driver, identified as Davonta Carter, 29, of Mount Dora, then got out of the vehicle and began running westbound on Orange Avenue.

Arnold gave chase and the first officer who spotted Carter speeding, pulled up and began chasing Carter at gunpoint too. After several commands to “stop,” Carter laid down in the middle of Orange Avenue and surrendered, the affidavit states. He was placed in the back of a patrol car that was parked in the middle of Orange Avenue and the officer moved the car to a nearby gas station.

Carter, covered in sweat, requested EMS to check him out, Lake EMS responded, and Carter refused transport; his passenger, Miavohni Wright, 23, of York, Penn., was transported to AdventHealth Waterman in Tavares with non-life-threatening injuries. Officers searched the vehicle and found a black and white Adidas bag with a 9mm handgun, two plastic bags containing crack cocaine and a bag of marijuana.

Carter was arrested for leaving the scene of a crash with injuries, driving while license suspended, reckless driving, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of a controlled substance, driving while license suspended and resisting without violence. He was transported to the Lake County Jail, where staff advised he needed to be checked out by the hospital before being booked, due to being involved in a crash. He was transported to AdventHealth Waterman, where he was medically cleared, and transported back to LCJ, where he is being held on $41,000 bond.

Eustis police sergeant OK after suspect slams into marked patrol truck Read More »

PHOTO: Shannon Cook/Special to Inside Lake

SUV crashes into unoccupied bank building in downtown Eustis Friday afternoon

Eustis, Inside Scoop / By Marilyn M. Aciego

EUSTIS, Fla.—A driver and a pedestrian are OK after an SUV crashed into a Bank of America building in downtown Eustis Friday afternoon.

Shortly before 2:15 p.m., an elderly driver lost control of her SUV and careened into the glass double doors of the building, located at 100 North Bay Steet. A pedestrian was near the building and suffered minor injuries, Eustis Police Department Chief Craig Capri said. The building has been unoccupied for several years, and according to Bank of America’s website, only an ATM is available at that location for customer use.

The driver and pedestrian, whose names were not released, suffered minor injuries. The driver was not impaired, Capri said, but will be ticketed for the crash.

SUV crashes into unoccupied bank building in downtown Eustis Friday afternoon Read More »

Driver who caused crash that shut down Grove Street Monday night arrested for DUI

Eustis, Inside Scoop / By Marilyn M. Aciego

EUSTS, Fla.—The driver of the truck that took out an electrical pole, a fire hydrant, and shut down Grove Street for more than 10 hours Monday has been arrested for DUI.

Tyler G. Cook, 29, of Eustis, was arrested early Tuesday morning after being released from the hospital, where he refused a blood draw, according to an arrest affidavit.

Around 6:30 p.m. Monday, EPD responded to a crash one Grove Street near North Eustis Street and found a power pole lying across the road, a fire hydrant spewing water and a blue Chevy truck on its roof, with an open 18-pack of Bud Light hanging out of the rear window. An officer spoke with Cook, who admitted he was driving the truck, and he said he did not remember what happened while struggling to keep his balance and slurring his words with the smell of alcohol on his breath, the affidavit states.

As police photographed the scene, an officer observed the 18-pack of Bud Light and it only contained 11 beers, still cold to the touch. The other seven beers missing from the 18-pack were not found, but two unopened cans of Corona Extra were found in the truck.

A witness told police he noticed the blue Chevy truck swerving in and out of traffic prior to the crash. The truck cut him off and then he saw the truck having a verbal altercation with another vehicle near City Hall at Grove Street and Orange Avenue; a second witness said he observed the truck drifting around the corner near Wilt Avenue and saw the truck lose control at a “high rate of speed.” The speed limit in that area is 30 miles per hour.

Lake EMS arrived on scene and transported Cook, and his passenger, Chase Rimes, to AdventHealth Waterman in Tavares for treatment. While at the hospital, Cook was “combative” with staff and officers while handcuffed to a bed and he refused a blood draw, the affidavit states. Officers informed Cook they were conducting a DUI investigation and he refused to answer questions while trying to “entice” an officer into a verbal altercation. He spilled a cup of urine and continued to slur his words while being combative.

Rimes, his passenger, told police Cook popped the clutch on the truck and “took off.” He lost control and struck the curb while trying to correct the vehicle. He said he did not believe Cook was drunk at the time of the crash, but it was unusual for him to slur his words and be combative, and agreed that he was driving carelessly, the affidavit states.

Cook was released from AdventHealth Waterman and transported to the Lake County Jail, where he refused a breath test. The officer who was attempting to conduct the breath test noted he could still smell alcohol on his breath, nearly eight hours after the crash.

Cook was arrested for DUI with property damage and released on $1,000 bond late Tuesday morning.

Previous story: Truck takes out electrical pole, fire hydrant, flips over and shuts down Grove Street in Eustis Monday night – Inside Lake

Driver who caused crash that shut down Grove Street Monday night arrested for DUI Read More »

Tavares motorcyclist killed in Leesburg crash Saturday

Inside Scoop, Leesburg, Tavares / By Marilyn M. Aciego

LEESBURG, Fla.—A Tavares motorcyclist was killed Saturday afternoon after a car pulled out of a Leesburg gas station and collided with him on U.S. Highway 441, according to Leesburg Police Department Capt. Joe Iozzi.

William Clough, 65, was riding a 2015 Harley-Davidson southbound on U.S. Highway 441 near Tomato Hill Road when Bettyrose Knittle, 88, of Fruitland Park, pulled out of RaceTrac and struck Clough around 5 p.m., Iozzi said.

Clough was seriously injured and transported by ground to UF Health Leesburg Hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries. Traffic was diverted around crash for approximately three hours, according to Iozzi.

LPD traffic homicide investigators are investigating the crash and are asking witnesses to contact them at 352-787-2121.

LPD also worked a crash earlier in the day that involved two motorcycles that crashed into each other while trying to avoid a vehicle on U.S. Highway 27 near the Hawthorne at Leesburg neighborhood. Both riders were transported by air to local hospitals. The crash closed both the northbound and southbound lanes of U.S. Highway 27 for approximately 45 minutes, Iozzi said.

Tavares motorcyclist killed in Leesburg crash Saturday Read More »

Eustis Rollover Crash Sends 2 to Area Hospitals

Eustis, Inside Scoop, Umatilla / By Marilyn M. Aciego

EUSTIS, Fla.—A rollover crash sent one person to the hospital by helicopter and another by ground Tuesday morning, according to Eustis Police Department.

Wilbert McMillian, 66, of Eustis, was driving a 1998 Chevrolet 1500 pickup truck westbound on East Barnes Avenue when he attempted to turn southbound on Bay Street, shortly before 7:30 a.m. Tuesday.

McMillian failed to yield to traffic traveling southbound on Bay Street and rear-ended a 2010 Chevrolet Equinox being driven by Brittany Weatherspoon, 30, of Umatilla. The impact caused the Equinox to strike the median and rollover three times before landing on its roof. Weatherspoon was airlifted to Orlando Regional Medical Center, and her passenger, a 4-year-old boy, was transported to AdventHealth Waterman in Tavares by Lake EMS. Their conditions were unknown at press time.

The crash occurred just minutes before school zone lights and speed limits were activated in that area.

Eustis Rollover Crash Sends 2 to Area Hospitals Read More »

BREAKING NEWS: Mount Dora Police on Scene of Fiery Wreck

Inside Scoop, Mount Dora / By Marilyn M. Aciego

MOUNT DORA, Fla.—For the second time Thursday, Mount Dora Police Department is investigating a crash that seriously injured someone.

Around 8:45 p.m., MDPD responded to the crash involving a white pickup truck and a motorcycle at County Road 19A and Azaela Drive. The truck became engulfed in flames following the collision, MDPD Spokesperson Misty Sommer told Inside Lake.

Video courtesy of Tori Vines

The driver of the truck was not injured, and the motorcyclist was transported by ground to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries. How the crash occurred was still under investigation at press time.

April Conde was the first to call 911 following the crash, she told Inside Lake. She said while she was on the phone with a dispatcher, multiple people called in about the fiery crash.

This is a developing story.

Previous story: 2-Vehicle Crash Resulting in Multiple Injuries Snarls Traffic in Mount Dora Thursday Afternoon – Inside Lake

BREAKING NEWS: Mount Dora Police on Scene of Fiery Wreck Read More »

2-Vehicle Crash Resulting in Multiple Injuries Snarls Traffic in Mount Dora Thursday Afternoon

Inside Scoop, Mount Dora / By Marilyn M. Aciego

MOUNT DORA, Fla.—Mount Dora Police Department is investigating a crash that injured multiple people and closed a major intersection Thursday.

Details were limited at press time, because MDPD was still on scene, but the crash involves two vehicles and occurred around 3:30 p.m. at the intersection of U.S. Highway 441 and Eudora Road. One person with severe injuries was airlifted and two people were transported to the hospital by ground, MDPD Spokesperson Misty Sommer told Inside Lake.

Motorists are being asked to avoid the area.

2-Vehicle Crash Resulting in Multiple Injuries Snarls Traffic in Mount Dora Thursday Afternoon Read More »

Woman Crashes Car Through Front Door of Tavares Condo Wednesday Night

Inside Scoop, Tavares / By Marilyn M. Aciego

TAVARES, Fla.—A slip of the foot resulted in a car going through the front door of a Tavares condo, a woman told police Wednesday night.

Just before 8 p.m. Wednesday, Tavares Police Department responded to the 600 block of East Rosewood Lane in Rosewood Condominiums on a report of vehicle colliding with a structure, according to a report. Jada Broughton, 20, told police she was backing a 2011 Hyundai passenger car into a parking space when her foot slipped off the pedal and she accelerated into the front door of the condo.

A 30-year-old woman who was sitting in a chair in front the condo was struck by the car, but she refused medical treatment on the scene, the report states. Broughton and her two passengers were not injured.

Woman Crashes Car Through Front Door of Tavares Condo Wednesday Night Read More »

Tragic Mount Dora Crash Claims Toddler’s Life, Sends Mom to Hospital

Inside Scoop, Mount Dora, Tavares / By Marilyn M. Aciego

MOUNT DORA, Florida—Mount Dora Police Department is investigating a crash that claimed the life of a 2-year-old boy and sent his mom to the hospital Thursday afternoon.

MDPD has not released names, but a gofundme and accompanying social media post identified mom and son as Kaley Paladino and her youngest son, Guy Wesley Paladino, of Tavares.

Guy Wesley Paladino, 2, who was called Wesley by family and friends, was transported to Orlando Health Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children following the tragic crash on State Road 46, where he later succumbed to his injuries and his mom, Kaley Paladino, was transported to Orlando Regional Medical Center with severe injuries.

Little information is being released about the crash, as it is still under investigation, MDPD Chief Michael Gibson told Inside Lake. Paladino was driving a Dodge minivan when she collided with a semi with a flatbed trailer, Gibson said. The driver of the semi was not injured.

*Mount Dora Fire Department and Mount Dora Police Department respond to a crash that claimed life of a toddler and severely injured his mother Thursday afternoon. Submitted photo*

The investigation is ongoing and at press time, neither driver had been ticketed or charged, according to Gibson.

“Because of the nature of the investigation, we (MDPD) will not release investigative information until (it is) complete and reviewed by the State Attorney’s Office,” Gibson said in an email to Inside Lake.

A gofundme was created to assist the Paladino family with medical and memorial expenses, to donate, visit https://www.gofundme.com/f/funeral-and-medical-expenses-for-loving-family?fbclid=IwAR3KiaDFqQPa1c0wpi6XZ8C3WN-MuGZAM7q2qU6manfkm7tJ-GPMk60Cg84

“Guy Wesley was known for his cool calm demeanor and ever-present smile, always up for a hug which he could hold for hours. Kaley is known for her generous loving spirit and family first attitude,” the gofundme states.

At press time, the fundraiser had raised nearly $31,000 of its $100,000 goal.

*Kaley Paladino and her son, Guy “Wesley.” PHOTO: Kaley Paladino/Facebook*

Tragic Mount Dora Crash Claims Toddler’s Life, Sends Mom to Hospital Read More »