Ocala Teenager Killed in Marion County Multi-Vehicle Pileup
As the state of Florida documented July as one of its deadliest months in recent history for motor vehicle fatalities, authorities in Marion County are continuing their investigation into a three-car collision that occurred Friday evening and claimed the life of a 17-year-old teenager from Ocala.
Preliminary accident reports from troopers with the Florida Highway Patrol indicate that it was shortly after 10:30 p.m. on July 16, 2021, when a 40-year-old man from Sanford was driving a Chevy Sonic in the eastbound lane of State Road 40. Travelling in the same direction right in front of the Chevy Sonic was a 55-year-old woman from Deltona driving a Volkswagen Passat. As these two vehicles drove along S.R. 40, the driver of the Sonic decided to pass the Passat on a stretch of highway which is marked as a ‘no passing zone’ by the double yellow lines painted down the middle of the street.
After the 40-year-old Sanford resident made this dangerous decision, he maneuvered his Chevy Sonic over to the westbound lane and clipped the Volkswagen Passat in the process of doing so. This first accident then positioned the Sonic on an unavoidable collision course with an oncoming Chevy Malibu and the two cars crashed head-on. The force of impact from the accident was so intense that the Chevy Sonic went airborne, landed on the Volkswagen Passat, and burst into flames.
The 55-year-old female driver of the Volkswagen Passat was taken to Ocala Regional Medical Center for treatment of minor injuries and the 40-year-old driver of the Chevy Sonic, who was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the collision, was also transported to Ocala Regional Medical Center with critical injuries. Their current conditions are unknown. Sadly, the 17-year-old female driver of the Chevy Malibu, who was transported to the same hospital, could not survive the severity of her injuries and she passed away after arriving at the medical facility. Her 17-year-old passenger, who was wearing a seatbelt, was listed in serious condition and the 2-year-old toddler was medevaced to the University of Florida Health Shands Hospital in Gainesville, also in serious condition.
It is unclear at this time if anyone will face legal consequences for their involvement in this truly tragic accident.
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.
