The Florida Highway Patrol is looking for any witnesses who may have observed or been involved in two crashes that occurred minutes apart on Interstate 75 in Marion County last month.
Shortly after 10 p.m. on March 20, the two separate crashes occurred within the center southbound lane of I-75, near mile marker 362, north of Ocala, according to FHP.
The first crash involved a semi-truck that was rear-ended by a gold van with six occupants. FHP stated that after the collision, the semi-truck briefly relocated to the shoulder while the van remained within the roadway, obstructing the center lane.
A trooper noted in the accident report that within minutes, the semi-truck left the scene of the crash and continued traveling southbound on I-75.
Moments later, 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 FHP.
At the same time, the disabled van that had been involved in the previous crash was still 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.
In a media release on Friday, April 5, the Florida Highway Patrol stated that one of the van’s occupants was able to provide a description of the semi-truck involved in the hit-and-run crash.
According to FHP, the semi-truck had capitalized lettering located on the bottom rear portion of the trailer door, which stated TELMP or TELPM, and these letters were approximately two to four feet in height. Additionally, an orange or red shaped decal was to the right of the lettering.
No further details were provided by FHP.
If anyone witnessed these crashes, or can assist with identifying the semi-truck involved in the first crash, please contact the Florida Highway Patrol Communications Center at 1-800-387-1290 or dial *FHP (*347) on your cellphone.