LEESBURG, Fla.—The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating a crash that killed a man outside of Leesburg early Sunday morning.
A 26-year-old man of Puerto Rico was driving a 2024 Chevy Malibu eastbound on County Road 48 approaching County Road 33, shortly before 2:30 a.m. He ran the stop sign at County Road 33, went off the roadway, became airborne over a ditch, struck a tree and overturned, FHP said.
The driver suffered minor injuries and was transported to UF Health Leesburg Hospital; his passenger, a 41-year-old male, also of Puerto Rico was also transported and pronounced deceased. The crash remains under investigation.
EUSTIS, Fla.—An Altoona woman was killed Tuesday morning after a dump truck veered into her lane and slammed into her head-on outside of Eustis, shutting down County Road 439.
Just before 8:30 a.m., a 1994 dump truck was northbound on County Road 439, when the driver, a 28-year-old Leesburg man, attempted to brake for traffic stopped ahead near County Road 44A. He veered into the southbound lane and hit a 2019 Toyota Corolla head-on. The driver of the Toyota, a 23-year-old Altoona woman, was transported to AdventHealth Waterman in Tavares, where she was pronounced deceased. The Leesburg man was not injured.
A witness, who wished to remain anonymous, told Inside Lake she saw the crash and stayed with the woman until first responders arrived, “I wish I could have done something,” she said. “I just wanted her family to know I stayed with her the whole time. She wasn’t alone.”
CLERMONT, Fla.—The Florida Highway Patrol is searching for an SUV that hit and killed an Auburndale man Monday near Clermont and fled the scene.
A tow truck was stopped partially in the outside southbound lane and shoulder, assisting a driver with a disabled vehicle. The driver of the vehicle, a 37-year-old Auburndale man, was standing in the outside southbound lane of U.S. Highway 27 waving traffic around his disabled vehicle, the tow truck and its driver, near the Sienna Ridge community shortly before 7 p.m., according to FHP.
An unidentified white SUV was traveling southbound on U.S. Highway 27, failed to move over and struck the Auburndale man, propelling him into the driver’s side mirror of the tow truck. The unidentified vehicle turned right onto Margaux Drive, hit a rock in the median and then fled southbound on U.S. Highway 27. The Auburndale man was pronounced deceased on the scene.
A witness told troopers the SUV was a white Kia Soul with an Indiana license plate. If you have information on the crash, call FHP at 407-737-2213 or Crimeline at 1-800-423-TIPS.
January marks the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles’ annual “Move Over” Public Safety Campaign, promoting roadside safety awareness. “Florida law requires you to “Move Over” a lane, when you can safely do so, for stopped law enforcement, emergency, sanitation, utility service vehicles, tow trucks or wreckers, maintenance or construction vehicles with displaying warning lights, and any disabled vehicle on the side of the road. If you can’t move over, or when on a two-lane road, slow to a speed that is 20 miles per hour less than the posted speed limit,” said FHP Lt. Tara Crescenzi.
GRAPHIC: Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles
DeLEON SPRINGS, Fla.—A 71-year-old Paisley man was killed Friday when he lost control of his motorcycle and struck a sign post, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
The man was riding a 2024 Harley-Davidson Nightster westbound on West Retta Street in Deleon Springs when he attempted to make a left turn onto Grand Avenue. He lost control of the bike, ran off the road and struck a sign post, shortly before 1:30 p.m., FHP said.
ALTOONA, Fla.—A Valrico man was killed before daybreak Wednesday when he failed to negotiate a curve and struck a car head-on on County Road 42, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
Around 6:10 a.m., the 21-year-old man was driving 2016 Chevy Cobalt eastbound on County Road 42 and failed to negotiate a curve east of State Road 19 in Altoona. He entered the westbound lane and struck a 2019 Subaru WRX head-on being driven by a 20-year-old Port Orange man. A 28-year-old man driving a 2018 Ford F-150 behind the Subaru, swerved to the right in attempt to avoid a collision but was unable to, and rear-ended the Subaru, FHP said.
The Valrico man was pronounced deceased on the scene, the Port Orange man received minor injuries and the DeLand man was uninjured. The crash closed County Road 42 for more than six hours.
This is the second deadly head-on crash on County Road 42 in less than a week. On Friday, Manuel and Angela Rodriguez were killed near Paisley when a Ford Mustang attempted to pass a vehicle in a curve and struck the couple head-on, killing them. A fundraiser has been set up to help the family with expenses, to donate, click here.
ALTOONA, Fla.—A fatal three-vehicle crash has completely shut down County Road 42 in Altoona, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
The crash occurred around 6:10 a.m. Wednesday on County Road 42 near Hinson Road, east of State Road 19, and involves a 2006 Chevy Cobalt, a 2019 Subaru WRX and 2018 Ford F-150; the driver of the Cobalt was killed, and the other two drivers, a 20-year-old male of Port Orange and a 28-year-old male of DeLand were not transported for treatment, FHP said.
The details of how the crash occurred have not been released.
Just last week, two Paisley residents were killed in a head-on crash on County Road 42, about 16 miles east of Wednesday’s crash site.
LAKE COUNTY, Fla.—A Paisley man and woman were killed Friday night after a speeding Mustang slammed into them head-on, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
The 46-year-old Paisley man was driving a 2018 Mitsubishi Mirage G4 westbound on County Road 42 approaching Lazy Lake Road, near Paisley, when a 2015 Ford Mustang traveling eastbound attempted to pass another vehicle in a curve, shortly after 7 p.m., FHP said. The Mustang hit the Mirage head-on, killing the driver of the Mirage, and his passenger, a 56-year-old Paisley woman.
The Mustang left the roadway and entered the tree line and the driver, a 26-year-old Tavares man, was seriously injured and airlifted to HCA Florida Lake Monroe Hospital in Sanford. The crash closed County Road 42 for several hours and remains under investigation.
LAKE COUNTY, Fla.—Two people are dead after a speeding car crashed into them head-on in a no-passing zone near Paisley Friday night, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
Shortly after 7 p.m., a 26-year-old Tavares man was speeding eastbound in a 2015 Ford Mustang on County Road 42 when he attempted to pass another vehicle in a no-passing zone near Lazy Lake Road, FHP said.
He crashed into a 2018 Mitsubishi Mirage G4 traveling westbound on County Road 42, killing the driver and a passenger. The pair had not been identified at press time and County Road 42 remains closed as FHP investigates. The Tavares man was airlifted to HCA Florida Lake Monroe Hospital in Sanford with serious injuries.
CLERMONT, Fla.—A teenager was killed early Wednesday after running off the road and hitting a tree, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
Shortly before 1:30 a.m., a 17-year-old male was driving a 2003 Chevy S-10 eastbound on County Road 474, west of Hilochee Ridge Road in unincorporated Clermont when he left the road for an unknown reason, FHP said.
The pickup truck struck a tree, and the teen was pronounced deceased on the scene. The crash remains under investigation.
