OCALA, Fla. – A 15-year-old girl was killed and another teen was injured Tuesday in a crash in Ocala, police said.
The teens, both 15, were traveling north on Northeast 25th Avenue near Northeast 14th Street when the driver crossed into the southbound lane, striking another vehicle head-on, according to Ocala police.
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Both teens were taken to UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital in Gainesville, where the passenger died, according to police. The driver was in stable condition, police said.
The teen who died, later identified as Mackenna Rector, was a sophomore at Vanguard High School in Ocala, according to Marion County Public Schools. Grief counselors will be available Wednesday at the school for the Rector’s classmates.
“We extend our thoughts and prayers to the family, friends, and entire Vanguard community and to everyone grieving Mackenna’s death,” a school district spokesperson said in a statement.
The driver of the other vehicle was not injured, police said.
For a 15-year-old to legally drive in Florida, they must have a permit and be accompanied in the front seat by a licensed driver who is at least 21 years old.
No other details have been released.