An Ocala man was arrested after a crash on U.S. 41 in Citrus County killed an Inverness woman and seriously injured two men on Saturday.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol incident report, at around 1:45 a.m., an SUV being driven by a 16-year-old Ocala teenager was traveling southbound on U.S. 41 in the inside northbound lane.
The SUV was approaching South Airport Road when it collided nearly head-on with a sedan that was being driven by an 18-year-old Inverness woman.
After the impact, the SUV rotated to a final rest in the southbound left turn lane. The sedan rotated along the east sidewalk on the shoulder of U.S. 41 before coming to a stop.
The driver of the sedan was transported to a local hospital where she later passed away from her injuries. The sedan’s passenger, an 18-year-old Inverness man, was seriously injured.
The driver of the SUV sustained serious injuries in the crash. The SUV’s passenger, identified as 22-year-old Ocala resident Manuel Alfonzo Villalbazo, sustained minor injuries.
FHP troopers arrested Villalbazo and he is facing multiple charges that include allowing an unauthorized person to drive, possession of a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell or distribute, and aggravated child abuse.
Villalbazo was transported to Citrus County Jail.
Debris from the collision had also struck a second SUV that was being driven by a 35-year-old Crystal River woman. Both she and her 14-year-old passenger sustained minor injuries.
With the exception of Villalbazo, the names of the individuals involved in the accident were not released, per FHP policy.