Car Accidents

November 29, 2022

News: 19-year-old man arrested for Palm Harbor crash that left 2 dead

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

PALM HARBOR, FL – A man is under arrest in connection with a fatal car accident that occurred in Palm Harbor on Feb. 19, the Florida Highway Patrol said.

According to the Tampa Bay Times, 19-year-old Chase Cannone is facing charges of DUI manslaughter and vehicular homicide in the case. Investigators said Cannone was driving a Ford Mustang at high speed on Alderman Road near Bentley Drive when a Hyundai Accent making a turn entered his path and the vehicles collided.

The driver of the Accent, a 32-year-old New Port Richey man, and his passenger, a 30-year-old Palm Harbor woman, were pronounced dead at the scene. Cannone, a Clearwater resident, was seriously injured.

November 25, 2022

News: Ocala man killed when car runs off road, crashes on CR-315

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

OCALA, FL – An Ocala man died after his vehicle went off the road and crashed in Marion County early Tuesday morning, the Florida Highway Patrol said.

A report by the Ocala StarBanner stated the victim was a 32-year-old man driving a Volkswagen Jetta north on County Road 315 near Northeast 135th Street sometime before 4:15 a.m. As the vehicle approached a right-hand curve the driver veered left, going off the roadway and onto a shoulder.

The Jetta crashed into a wooden utility pole before striking a tree and coming to a stop. The driver was trapped inside the vehicle and was pronounced dead at the scene. No one else was in the car.

November 24, 2022

News: Man from the Villages, 73, killed in Lake County car wreck

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

LAKE COUNTY, FL – The Florida Highway Patrol said one person was killed and another injured Saturday afternoon in a collision on State Road 44 in Lake County.

According to WKMG, state troopers said the driver of a Honda CR-V was going south near Rory Lane shortly before 2 p.m. and tried to make a U-turn from the southbound lane. As the Honda made the turn, the vehicle was struck on the side by a southbound Chevrolet Tahoe that had been traveling behind it.

The driver of the Honda, a 73-year-old man from The Villages, was pronounced dead after being rushed to an area hospital.

November 18, 2022

News: 1 dead, 4 injured in car wreck near Marion County middle school

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

MARION COUNTY, FL – The Florida Highway Patrol said one person died and four others were injured in a car crash in Marion County early Wednesday morning.

The Ocala StarBanner reported details of the accident, which occurred in the area of County Road 329 and Northwest 18th Avenue near North Marion Middle School sometime before 6:13 a.m.

According to the FHP, the driver of a Chevrolet Cobalt was going around a curve while headed west on County Road 329 when he veered off the road and onto the shoulder.

November 17, 2022

News: Driver facing charges for fatal multi-vehicle crash in Leesburg

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

LEESBURG, FL – A driver has been arrested for a fatal accident in Leesburg last week, reports the Leesburg News.

36-year-old Gustavo Martinez Cortez of Eustis was arrested on a third-degree felony charge of driving without a license.

The Nov. 7 crash involved a total of four vehicles, and occurred in the area of County Road 44 and North Silver Lake Road. Authorities said Cortez crashed into the back of a Toyota Corolla. The collision killed the driver of the Corolla, a 42-year-old man from Eustis. A semi-truck and a Mitsubishi Mirage were also involved in the wreck. The driver of the Mirage, a 23-year-old Deland woman, sustained minor injuries.

November 14, 2022

News: 2 dead in crash involving pickup and tow truck on Florida Turnpike

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

ORANGE COUNTY, FL – A collision between two vehicles on the Florida Turnpike in Orange County early Thursday morning left two men dead, reports WKMG.

The incident happened in the turnpike’s southbound lanes near mile marker 266 in the area of State Road 408 at about 5:44 am.

The Florida Highway Patrol said an FHP marked patrol car responding to a crash and a tow truck were both parked in the inside shoulder with their emergency lights activated. The tow truck driver was standing outside the vehicle.

November 11, 2022

News: Rollover accident in Ocala sends both drivers to hospital

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

OCALA, FL – Rescue units were at the scene of a crash in Ocala Monday night that left two people injured.

In a Facebook post, Ocala Fire Rescue said its crews responded to E Fort King Street and NE 31st Avenue after reports of a vehicle fire just after 7 p.m.

Officials said a Toyota and a Nissan had been involved in an accident, with the Nissan rolling onto its side. Firefighters were able to stabilize the Nissan and removed the windshield to extricate the driver, who had been trapped inside. The driver was transported to the hospital for evaluation, while the Toyota driver was also hospitalized.

November 10, 2022

News: Man sentenced to life in prison in car crash near Inverness that killed 3 women

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

INVERNESS, FL – A man was sentenced to life in prison Tuesday in connection with a car accident that killed three people in Citrus County.

The Citrus County Chronicle reports 56-year-old Philip Sawhill of Land O’Lakes was ordered to serve three concurrent life sentences for the crash that took place on Christmas Eve 2019.

It happened near the intersection of South Pleasant Grove Road and East Amy Lane near Inverness. Authorities said Sawhill was driving a Toyota Highlander and trying to pass five other northbound vehicles in a no-passing zone on South Pleasant Grove Road. His vehicle collided with a Kia Optima that was headed south. Three women in the Kia, 62-year-old Amalia Gomara of Dunnellon; 86-year-old Clara Adela Gorrin of Hialeah; and 85-year-old Nilda Cordovi of Pembroke Pines, were pronounced dead at the scene.

November 9, 2022

News: Collision at intersection in Ocala leaves 1 dead, 3 hospitalized

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

OCALA, FL – One person was killed and three others injured in a collision at an intersection in Ocala Saturday evening, reports Ocala-News.

Police responded to the scene in the vicinity of NW 27th Avenue and NW 10th Street at about 9:45 p.m. An investigation indicated that a Hyundai Elantra and a BMW 228i were stopped at the intersection after approaching from opposite directions.

When the traffic pattern changed, both vehicles began to move forward. The driver of a northbound Honda Pilot failed to stop, entered the intersection, hit the front of the Hyundai and then struck the BMW on the driver’s side.

November 7, 2022

News: Brooksville man dies following single-vehicle crash on CR-572

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

HERNANDO COUNTY, FL – State troopers said a single-vehicle accident in Hernando County early Thursday morning left a driver dead.

WFLA reports the crash occurred on CR-572 east of Crum Road at about 4:30 a.m. According to the Florida Highway Patrol, a Brooksville man was driving a truck westbound when he was unable to negotiate a curve in the roadway.

The vehicle went off the road, hit a mailbox, went back across the roadway and collided with a tree. The 68-year-old driver was declared dead after being transported to an area hospital.