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Crystal River woman dies after crashing into traffic barriers on Turnpike in Lake County, FHP says

Crash occurred south of State Road 19 (mile marker 283)

Police lights (FILE) (WDIV)

LAKE COUNTY, Fla. – A 66-year-old Crystal River woman died late Saturday after a crash on the Florida Turnpike in Lake County, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

The crash occurred around 11:10 p.m. in the Turnpike’s northbound lanes south of State Road 19, in the area of mile marker 283, troopers said.

According to an FHP crash report, the woman failed to negotiate a slight curve to the right, causing the front left of the SUV she had been driving in the outside lane to strike the traffic wall in the inside paved shoulder. The impact caused the SUV to rotate and strike the concrete traffic barrier along the outside shoulder, the report states.

Another SUV traveling north on the Turnpike — being driven behind the Crystal River woman’s SUV by an 82-year-old Fruitland Park man — then struck the woman’s vehicle, according to FHP. Troopers said the woman’s SUV had entered the man’s direct path, causing the front right of his vehicle to strike with the right rear of hers.

The woman was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead while the man was not hospitalized and remained at the scene, according to the report.

FHP is still investigating.

Note: This map depicts the general area of this crash and not necessarily its exact location.


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