FHP Archives - Inside Lake

Truck set ablaze after fatal crash, Eustis man turns himself in to troopers

Eustis, Inside Scoop / By Marilyn M. Aciego

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla.—A Eustis man is behind bars in Orange County after fleeing a crash that killed an Orlando bicyclist Monday.

Around 9:15 a.m., Jermaine Williams, 42, was driving a Dodge Ram southbound on South Orange Blossom Trail in Orange County and failed to stop for a bicyclist traveling westbound in the crosswalk at 43^rd Street. The Dodge struck the 43-year-old bicyclist, and he was transported to Orlando Regional Medical Center and pronounced deceased, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

Williams fled the scene and Orange County Sheriff’s Office deputies soon located the Dodge on fire behind a nearby business. FHP took the truck as evidence and Williams later contacted FHP and turned himself in, FHP said. He was arrested for leaving the scene of a crash with death and booked into the Orange County Jail, where he is being held on no bond.

“This case remains an active criminal investigation and further charges are pending,” FHP Lt. Tara Crescenzi said.

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Collision with truck kills Sorrento motorcyclist Wednesday

Inside Scoop, Unincorporated Lake / By Marilyn M. Aciego

SORRENTO, Fla. —A Sorrento man was killed early Wednesday evening after a pickup truck turned in front of him, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

The 65-year-old man was riding a 2001 Yamaha motorcycle eastbound on State Road 46, also known as Sorrento Avenue, when a 49-year-old Apopka man driving a 2020 Chevy Silverado attempted to make a left turn into a parking lot near 4^th Street.

The front of the motorcycle collided with the Silverado and the impact killed the motorcyclist just after 6 p.m., FHP said. The driver of the Silverado was not injured.

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Umatilla woman killed in early morning Marion County crash

Inside Scoop, Umatilla / By Marilyn M. Aciego

Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story misidentified the crash victim’s gender due to incorrect information released by the Florida Highway Patrol. The story has been updated with the correct information.

MARION COUNTY, Fla.—The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating a crash that killed a 41-year-old Umatilla woman Friday morning.

Shortly before 2:45 a.m. the woman was driving eastbound on County Road 42 when she failed to negotiate a curve near Southeast 258^th Avenue Road in the Umatilla area of Marion County.

The car left the roadway and struck a sign, a fence and a tree on the south shoulder. The woman was pronounced deceased on the scene by Marion County Fire Rescue.

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Motorcyclist killed trying to pass truck in no-passing zone near Groveland Monday

Groveland, Inside Scoop, Unincorporated Lake / By Marilyn M. Aciego

GROVELAND, Fla.— A Lakeland motorcyclist was killed Monday afternoon while attempting to pass a truck in a no-passing zone on State Road 33 near Groveland, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

Just after noon, the 28-year-old Lakeland man was riding a 2024 Yamaha YZF-R1 motorcycle southbound on State Road 33 approaching Pine Island Road when he attempted to pass a 2019 Ford F250 that began to make a left turn onto Pine Island Road. The motorcycle crashed into the side of the truck, throwing the Lakeland man from the bike, FHP said.

The motorcyclist was pronounced deceased on the scene and the driver of the Ford, a 63-year-old Inverness woman, was transported to South Lake Hospital with minor injuries.

The crash closed State Road 33, and it remained closed around 3 p.m. Monday. According to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, motorists traveling south on State Road 33 will be rerouted to Redwing Road, motorists traveling north on State Road 33 will be rerouted to Florida Boys Ranch Road and motorists traveling west on Pine Island Road will be rerouted to Montevista Road.

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Fatality shuts down SR 33 near Groveland

Groveland, Inside Scoop, Unincorporated Lake / By Marilyn M. Aciego

GROVELAND, Fla.— State Road 33 near Groveland is shutdown while the Florida Highway Patrol investigates a crash that killed at least one person.

The crash occurred shortly after noon near the intersection of Pine Island Road. According to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, motorists traveling south on State Road 33 will be rerouted to Redwing Road, motorists traveling north on State Road 33 will be rerouted to Florida Boys Ranch Road and motorists traveling west on Pine Island Road will be rerouted to Montevista Road.

This is developing story.

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Fruitland Park woman arrested for DUI manslaughter in bicyclist’s death

Fruitland Park, Inside Scoop / By Marilyn M. Aciego

BELLEVIEW, Fla. — A Fruitland Park woman is being held in the Marion County Jail on no bond, accused of killing a bicyclist early Saturday morning.

Shortly before 2 a.m., Janice Schwarz, 34, of Fruitland Park was driving a sedan westbound on State Road 25 just past the intersection of Southeast 80^th Court near Belleview, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. She struck a bicyclist from behind who was riding westbound on the north shoulder, killing the man, FHP said.

The bicyclist, a 37-year-old Ocala man, was pronounced deceased on the scene by Marion County Fire Rescue. Schwarz was arrested for DUI manslaughter and four counts of DUI property damage.

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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.

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Clermont man killed near Orlando after crashing into parked SUV Tuesday

Clermont, Inside Scoop / By Marilyn M. Aciego

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla.—A 78-year-old Clermont man was killed Tuesday after crashing into a parked vehicle shortly after 7 p.m., according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

The man was driving a 2012 Ford Escape eastbound on 18^th Street west of Woods Street, near Orlando, when he crashed into the front of a parked Chrysler Pacifica facing westbound; the Pacifica was unoccupied, FHP said.

The Clermont man was transported to Orlando Regional Medical Center, where he was pronounced deceased. The crash remains under investigation.

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Eustis bicyclist killed near Leesburg Sunday

Eustis, Inside Scoop, Leesburg, Unincorporated Lake / By Marilyn M. Aciego

LEESBURG, Fla.—A Eustis man was killed while riding a bicycle when he swerved in front of a pickup truck Sunday, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

Just after 6:30 p.m., a 61-year-old Leesburg man was driving a 2020 Toyota Tacoma southbound on County Road 473 near Fountain Lake Boulevard in the Bassville Park area of Leesburg, when a 69-year-old man riding a bicycle northbound in the southbound lane, swerved in front of the truck, FHP said.

The truck collided with the bicycle, and the Eustis man was pronounced deceased on the scene. The driver of the Tacoma was not injured.

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Wrong way crash near Groveland kills Altamonte Springs woman, injures 2 Leesburg women

Groveland, Inside Scoop, Leesburg, Unincorporated Lake / By Marilyn M. Aciego

GROVELAND, Fla.—A woman driving the wrong way down U.S. Highway 27 was killed Wednesday and two other women were injured, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

Around 9:45 p.m., a 30-year-old Altamonte Springs woman was driving a 2017 Dodge Charger southbound in the northbound inside lane north of Adkins Lane near Groveland when she struck a 2017 Toyota Corolla head-on. The Charger rotated clockwise, causing a 2016 Jeep Renegade to collide with the left side of the Charger.

The driver of the Charger was pronounced deceased on the scene, the driver of the Corolla, a 45-year-old Leesburg woman, suffered minor injuries and was transported to Orlando Health – South Lake Hospital. The driver of the Renegade, a 27-year-old woman, also of Leesburg, was seriously injured and transported to Orlando Regional Medical Center. The crash remains under investigation.

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