Wrong-Way Crash in Lake County Leaves One Dead, One Injured

By Orlando Personal Injury Attorney on October 26, 2019

A Lake County crash that took place towards the end of October resulted in the death of at least one person as well as the severe injury of another. Troopers working with the Florida Highway Patrol in Lake County stated that the wrong-way collision took place on the morning of Thursday, October 24th, and involved two vehicles. One of these vehicles, a Hyundai Santa Fe, was traveling down the eastern lane of State Road 40 when he neared a curve in the road. At the same time, a Honda Fit, being driven by an unnamed individual, was traveling down the western lane of State Road 40. It is believed that the precise location of the crash lies somewhere just to the east of Gustafson Drive.

As the 49-year-old driver of the Santa Fe navigated the curve, they overcompensated for the angle and wound up traveling in the western lanes. This meant that they were traveling in the opposite direction of traffic as they progressed around the curve. It is not clear whether or not the curve in question is so sharp as to create a blind spot, but regardless of the visibility it is well known that attempting to suddenly swerve a car traveling around a curve is a difficult thing indeed.

The driver of the Honda Fit was not able to escape from the path of the oncoming Santa Fe in time, and the two vehicles collided head-on while still traveling at full speed.

Emergency response crews rushed to the location of the incident immediately upon receiving reports of the accident. When they arrived, they found the Honda Fit had overturned completely and that the Santa Fe had rolled onto its left side. The driver inside of the Fit received the brunt of the injuries that resulted from the crash. They were declared dead at the scene of the accident.

The 49-year-old Ocala resident behind the wheel of the Santa Fe was transported from the area to Central Florida Regional Hospital. The extent of the injuries suffered by this person was not immediately known.

At the time of this writing, this incident remains subject to an ongoing investigation. No charges are currently pending.

Sources:

• Man killed in head-on crash in Lake County

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.