SUMTER COUNTY, Fla. – A crash in Sumter County on Friday evening has left one person dead and two others seriously injured.
The Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) responded to the scene at the intersection of County Road 475 and State Road 44 around 5:30 PM.
According to the FHP report, an unknown vehicle was traveling southbound on County Road 475 and failed to yield at a stop sign for the intersection of State Road 44.
A Nissan Altima was traveling westbound on State Road 44, and a Chevy pickup truck was traveling eastbound on State Road 44, both approaching the same intersection.
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To avoid colliding with the unknown vehicle, the driver of the Nissan swerved into the eastbound lanes, resulting in a head-on collision with the Chevy pickup truck. Both vehicles caught fire following the impact.
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The driver of the Chevy pickup truck, a 39-year-old male from Oxford, was transported to an area hospital but tragically succumbed to his injuries.
A 16-year-old female passenger in the pickup truck also sustained serious injuries. The driver of the Nissan, a 32-year-old male from Inverness, was seriously injured as well.
FHP Seeking Information On Third Driver
The FHP is actively seeking information about the driver and vehicle that fled the scene. Anyone with information is urged to contact *FHP (*347) or Crime Stoppers at **TIPS.
Update: Vehicle 1 has now been described as a late-model dark-colored SUV, possibly dark brown or dark blue in color.
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