One person was killed, and six others were seriously injured, in a two-vehicle crash on Interstate 75 in Marion County on Wednesday night.
Shortly after 10:05 p.m., a 46-year-old man from Oviedo was traveling southbound in the center lane on I-75, near mile marker 362, in a sedan, according to a report from the Florida Highway Patrol.
At the same time, a disabled van that had been involved in a previous crash on the interstate was obstructing the center lane. FHP stated that the sedan’s driver failed to see the van, resulting in a rear-end collision.
The driver and sole occupant of the sedan was transported to a local hospital in serious condition.
The van’s six occupants were also transported to local hospitals for medical treatment. The report stated that the driver, a 71-year-old man from Ocala, sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced deceased at the hospital.
The five passengers in the van – a 73-year-old woman, 70-year-old woman, 76-year-old woman, and two 76-year-old men, all from Ocala – sustained injuries that were deemed “serious.”
After the crash, all southbound lanes of I-75 were obstructed near the accident site for several hours.
No details were provided in the report regarding the accident that the van was involved in prior to being struck by the sedan.
The fatal crash remains under investigation, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.