An Ocala teenager who was walking to her school bus stop on Monday morning sustained fatal injuries after she was struck by a vehicle, less than two miles down the road from where another pedestrian was fatally struck just three days prior.
Shannon Rushing, an 18-year-old senior at Forest High School, sustained fatal injuries after she was struck by a car while walking to her bus stop in the 1900 block of NW Old Blitchton Road on Monday, October 27.
The Ocala Police Department first reported the fatal accident just after 7 a.m. At the time, all lanes of the roadway were closed and motorists were advised to take an alternative route.
At just before 9:30 a.m., OPD reported the details of the accident, saying Rushing was struck by a car while she was “walking to a bus stop.”
“We are heartbroken with this news and are supporting the family and school community during this difficult time. The investigation continues, and more updates will follow,” reads a statement from OPD.
Rushing attended Wards-Highlands Elementary School and Howard Middle School.
The fatal accident on Monday morning occurred less than two miles from where another pedestrian was fatally struck on Friday.
Ocala detectives are still looking for the white Chevrolet truck that fled the scene of that accident.
Through October 18, the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles reports that approximately 62 individuals have been killed as a result of accidents on Marion County roadways this year, including at least 14 pedestrians.