18-Year-Old Dies in Two-Car Crash in Sumter County

By Orlando Personal Injury Attorney on October 30, 2020

One person is dead, and another injured after an auto accident that was nearly head-on which occurred within Sumter County on Wednesday, October 14^th. After the crash took place, members of the Florida Highway Patrol arrived at the scene to conduct the preliminary investigation into the incident. The reports that we currently have around the situation come from these investigators.

It was on the afternoon of the Wednesday in question that an 18-year-old Center Hill resident was behind the wheel of a sedan and traveling down the eastern lanes of Southwest 41st Terrace. At the same time, a 31-year-old individual from Yalaha was behind the wheel of a pickup truck and traveling down the western lanes of County Road 48. Little is known about what was happening within the cab of the pickup truck in the moments leading up to the crash, but we are clear on the fact that as they neared the stretch of roadway where the two cars would pass one another, the driver of the pickup lost control of their vehicle. As a result, they crossed the center yellow line in the roadway and began to travel in the eastern lanes for an unknown period of time.

The driver of the sedan was not able to avoid the pickup, and the two vehicles struck one another almost completely head-on. The 18-year-old was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash, and the force of the collision caused them to suffer severe injuries. By the time the paramedics and EMTs reached the area, there was nothing that they could do for the 18-year-old. They were declared dead at the scene.

The 31-year-old driver of the pickup truck was not badly injured in the crash, but paramedics transported him to a nearby hospital where he received rapid and effective treatment for his comparatively modest injuries. This individual was able to be discharged from the hospital shortly after arriving and is not believed to be suffering from any severe physical trauma from the crash.

An investigation into the collision remains underway. Authorities have yet to issue any charges in relation to the case.

James O. Cunningham

Since 1977, personal injury lawyer James Cunningham has provided effective legal advocacy to people who are injured through the negligent actions of another person or entity throughout the Central Florida area. He fights to obtain recoveries for his clients’ physical and emotional pain and suffering and pursues his clients’ personal injury cases with a commitment to excellence and impeccable preparation.