NW Marion County crash claims two lives

[File photo by Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette]

A traffic crash on Dec. 27 in northwest Marion County that involved an RV motorhome with 15 passengers and a Chevy Tahoe claimed the lives of a 5-year-old boy and a baby, the Florida Highway Patrol has reported.

According to Dec. 27 FHP press release, the crash occurred around 5:45 a.m. when a motorhome traveling south on U.S Highway 27 and a Tahoe traveling west on CR 316 collied at the intersection of the two roadways and the RV overturned on a side.

The driver of the RV, a 59-year-old woman from Springfield, Ohio, who was not wearing a seat belt, and a passenger, a man age 35, who also was not wearing a seat belt, sustained minor injuries.

A 5-year-old boy from Springfield, Ohio, a passenger in the RV who was unrestrained, was declared deceased at the scene. The balance of the passengers, ages 9 to 38, none of whom were wearing seat belts, all sustained critical injuries, according to the press release.

A 25-year-old woman from Old Town, Florida, who was driving the Tahoe and was wearing a seat belt, was critically injured, the report stated.

An FHP update on Dec. 29 stated “just prior to the intersection, the Chevy Tahoe ran off the roadway to the right, while still traveling towards U.S. Highway 27. The Tahoe traveled on the grass shoulder towards U.S. Highway 27 and collided with the left side of the RV. The RV rotated and overturned on its side.”

According to the update, the woman driving the Tahoe was 35 weeks pregnant and the baby was delivered at the hospital and passed away. The mother remains in critical but stable condition, the update stated.

The update indicated 12 people in addition to the Tahoe driver were transported to area hospitals.