SUMTER COUNTY, Fla. – A morning commute turned dangerous on Thursday, February 20, 2025, when a tractor-trailer collided with a van at the intersection of SR-471 and SR-50, resulting in serious injuries for four individuals.
The accident occurred at approximately 6:45 AM. According to Florida Highway Patrol, a Chevy Express van, driven by a 41-year-old male from Hephzibah, Georgia, was traveling southbound on SR-471 and had come to a complete stop at a red traffic signal at the SR-50 intersection.
A tractor-trailer, also traveling southbound on SR-471, failed to stop and rear-ended the van.
The impact forced both vehicles to come to a final rest on the south side of the intersection. The 22-year-old driver of the tractor-trailer, a resident of Lake Placid, Florida, sustained minor injuries. However, the four occupants of the van suffered serious injuries.
The van’s driver, along with his three passengers—a 42-year-old male from Chiefland, Florida, a 46-year-old female from Lakeland, Florida, and a 61-year-old female, also from Lakeland—were all transported to area hospitals for treatment.
Their current conditions are unknown.
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