Driver Flees the Scene on Foot After Wrong-Way Collision in Volusia County

By Orlando Personal Injury Attorney on December 12, 2022

Authorities in Volusia County are currently searching for the driver of a pickup truck who allegedly caused a chain-reaction collision early Sunday morning on State Road 44 that claimed the lives of three people.

According to reports from the responding Florida Highway Patrol officers, it was close to 2:20 a.m. on December 11, 2022, when a yet-to-be-identified individual was driving a gray Toyota Tacoma in the western direction of the eastbound lanes of S.R. 44 in Volusia County near DeLand. As the driver approached the area just east of the I-4 overpass, their vehicle crashed head-on into a black Infiniti Q50 that was being driven by a 22-year-old man from New Smyrna Beach.

After the first collision occurred, the Toyota Tacoma spun out across the median and ended up in the eastbound lanes of the highway where it was then struck by a 30-year-old man from Edgewater who was driving a gray Toyota Prius. Moments later, a 60-year-old New Smyrna Beach woman driving a Lexus ES entered the area, but was able to successfully avoid the multi-car pileup by maneuvering her luxury sedan around the other vehicles and through a pile of debris.

Several Volusia County emergency response teams and troopers with the Florida Highway Patrol were dispatched to the crash site to help the multiple victims. The 22-year-old driver of the black Infiniti from the first collision sustained serious injuries and was transported to a local hospital. His three passengers suffered fatal injuries and did not survive the accident.

The 30-year-old driver of the Toyota Prius from the second accident and the 60-year-old driver of the Lexus ES from the third incident sustained only minor injuries.

The driver of the Toyota Tacoma fled the scene of the accident on foot immediately after it occurred. K-9 Units and investigators with the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office have performed a preliminary search of the area, but have not been able to successfully locate the individual.

Since 1977, Volusia County personal injury attorney James O. Cunningham has been fighting for the rights of victims who have been seriously injured or killed during an auto accident. If you would like to schedule a free 30-minute case evaluation, please fill out a contact form on our website or call our office directly at 877-FL-INJURY.

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.