A driver was killed, and an elderly passenger was seriously injured, after their SUV struck a fallen tree on a roadway in Marion County early Tuesday morning.
The fatal crash occurred on County Road 318 at around 2:25 a.m. on Tuesday, October 8, according to a report from the Florida Highway Patrol.
FHP stated that the SUV was heading westbound on County Road 318, west of the NE 38th Street intersection, in an area that was “dark with no lighting.”
A trooper noted in the report that a large tree had fallen and was obstructing the roadway. Due to the dark conditions, the driver of the SUV, a 56-year-old Salt Springs woman, failed to see the tree in time.
As a result, the front section of the SUV collided with the tree. The driver sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced deceased at the scene.
The SUV’s sole passenger, a 73-year-old woman from Salt Springs, was transported to HCA Florida Ocala Hospital for treatment of serious injuries.
Marion County Road Department crew members responded to the scene of the crash and cleared the tree out of the roadway.
The name of the individuals involved in the crash were not provided by the Florida Highway Patrol.