Car Accidents

January 23, 2025

News: Child injured in school bus vs. sedan crash at Ocala intersection

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

MARION COUNTY, FL – A 12-year-old child was hurt Wednesday afternoon, January 22, in Ocala when the vehicle they were traveling in was rear-ended by a school bus, reports WCJB.

The incident occurred in the right-turn lane of Southwest 60th Avenue, prompting an emergency response shortly after 4:30 p.m.

Florida Highway Patrol troopers said a 56-year-old woman was behind the wheel of a sedan and was stopped in the lane. At one point, the sedan was hit from the back by a school bus occupied by 26 students.

January 21, 2025

News: 1 dead, 2 injured in fiery crash at intersection in Sumter County

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

SUMTER COUNTY, FL – Two vehicles were involved in a deadly crash at an intersection in Sumter County on Friday night, WESH reported.

The Florida Highway Patrol was called to the area of County Road 475 and State Road 44 after the incident occurred at about 5:30 p.m.

The FHP’s investigation determined that the driver of an unidentified car was heading south on C.R. 474 while approaching a stop sign and did not yield when entering the intersection. The driver of a Nissan Altima going west on S.R. 44 swerved to the left to avoid a collision with that vehicle and entered the eastbound lanes, where the car crashed into an eastbound Chevy pickup truck. The Nissan and the Chevy both caught fire.

January 15, 2025

News: Altoona woman dies in collision with dump truck on County Road 439

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

LAKE COUNTY, FL – Authorities were called to a fatal crash involving a sedan and a dump truck in Lake County on Tuesday morning, WESH reported.

The accident happened at about 8:23 a.m. on County Road 439 near County Road 44A. The Florida Highway Patrol stated that the driver of a 1994 dump truck encountered stopped traffic while heading north. When the driver tried to brake, he veered into the southbound lane of CR-439 and collided head-on with a 2019 Toyota Corolla.

The Toyota driver, a 23-year-old Altoona woman, died after being rushed to AdventHealth Waterman Hospital. The dump truck driver, a 28-year-old Leesburg man, was not injured and stayed at the scene.

January 14, 2025

News: Woman killed, man injured when semi hits their car near U.S. Highway 301

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

HERNANDO COUNTY, FL – A collision between a car and a semi-truck in Hernando County left one person dead and another injured, WTSP reported.

The Florida Highway Patrol was called to the area of U.S. Highway 301 and State Route 50 after the crash occurred Sunday at about 1:49 p.m. The FHP’s investigation found that the driver of the car was heading east on State Route 50 and making a left turn at the intersection. The car entered the path of a westbound semi-truck and was hit by the truck.

An 86-year-old woman who was in the car was killed, while a 72-year-old man with her was hospitalized with serious injuries. The truck driver, a 66-year-old Iowa man, was not injured.

January 13, 2025

News: Man dies after car crashes into sign, tree off northbound I-75

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

ALACHUA COUNTY, FL – A car wreck in Alachua County on Thursday evening claimed the life of a motorist, according to the Gainesville Sun.

The crash occurred on Interstate 75 north at mile marker 399 north of Gainesville. The Florida Highway Patrol’s accident report said a driver headed north at about 5:30 p.m. drove his sedan off the roadway. The vehicle went through the grass shoulder and crashed into an information sign and a tree.

The driver, a 39-year-old man from High Springs, was pronounced dead at the scene. No other vehicles were involved.

January 10, 2025

News: Multi-vehicle crash in Lake County kills 21-year-old Valrico man

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

ALTOONA, FL – The Florida Highway Patrol said a multi-vehicle collision in Lake County on Wednesday morning left one man dead and another injured.

A report by WKMG stated that the crash took place on County Road 42 just east of State Road 19 in Altoona. The FHP’s preliminary investigation found that the driver of a 2006 Chevy Cobalt was heading east at about 6:10 a.m. when he failed to negotiate a curve in the roadway.

The Chevy then entered the westbound lanes of County Road 42 and collided head-on with a 2019 Subaru WRX. The driver of a 2018 Ford F-150 pickup truck tried to avoid the Subaru, but hit the back of the car.

January 8, 2025

News: High-speed collision on State Road 54 leaves 1 driver dead, 1 injured

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

PASCO COUNTY, FL – One driver was killed and another injured when their vehicles collided in Pasco County early Saturday morning, according to a WTSP report.

An investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol determined that a man was driving a Corvette at a high rate of speed on westbound State Road 54 at about 3 a.m. when he lost control on a curve east of Starkey Boulevard. The Corvette went across the center median, rotated, and entered the path of an eastbound Mercedes C300, resulting in a collision. The impact caused the Corvette to catch fire.

The Corvette driver, a 23-year-old man from Port Richey, died at the scene. The other driver, a 43-year-old Hudson man, was hospitalized with serious injuries.

January 7, 2025

News: 1 dead, 2 injured after vehicles collide head-on on County Road 42

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

LAKE COUNTY, FL – Two vehicles were involved in a deadly head-on collision in Lake County on Friday night, the Daily Commercial reports.

The Florida Highway Patrol responded to the wreck on County Road 42 at Lazy Lake Road after the incident happened at about 7:06 p.m.

The FHP’s investigation found that the driver of a 2015 Ford Mustang was heading east at a high rate of speed. The driver tried to pass in a no-passing zone while negotiating a curve and entered the westbound lane, where it collided with a 2018 Mitsubishi Mirage G4.

January 3, 2025

Commit to Safer Driving in 2025

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

Let’s face it, we are all guilty of doing something we shouldn’t be doing when we are behind the wheel. However, as we start fresh this new year, let’s all make a commitment to stop those bad behaviors and put safety first. The new year is a reminder to practice safer driving techniques that can make a lasting impact on our families, friends, and everyone else around us.

The NHTSA has some helpful tips to help us all be better drivers in 2025, including:

Wear your seatbelt every time you get behind the wheel.

December 31, 2024

News: Land O’Lakes man killed in wreck after driver runs red light

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

PASCO COUNTY, FL – A two-vehicle wreck at a Pasco County intersection Thursday night left one of the drivers dead, WTVT reports.

According to the Florida Highway Patrol, the driver of a Chevy Silverado was headed east on County Line Road at about 7:45 p.m., and went through a red light at the corner of U.S. 41. The Silverado slammed into a Toyota Tundra that was going north on U.S. 41, killing the Tundra driver, a 69-year-old Land O’Lakes man.

The Silverado driver, a 38-year-old San Antonio man, sustained injuries that were not life-threatening.