Pedestrian dies after being struck by two vehicles

[File photo by Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette]

A 55-year-old Ocala woman who was described as wearing dark clothing while walking in the dark on an unlighted roadway in southeast Marion County was struck by two vehicles and died early Thursday, March 27, 2025, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

According to an FHP press release, the fatality occurred around 5:30 a.m. on U.S. Highway 441 near Southeast 39th Place when the victim, dressed in dark clothing, “was walking within the southbound right lane of (U.S. Highway 441) while it was dark, with no lighting in the area.”

An SUV being driven south on U.S. Highway 441 by a 74-year-old Ocala woman “struck the pedestrian with its front section, causing the pedestrian to come to rest within the left lane,” according to the press release. The driver was wearing a seat belt and was not injured.

The driver of a second SUV, also traveling south on the same highway, a 59-year-old Silver Springs woman who also wore a seat belt and was not injured, was “unaware of the pedestrian in the roadway and maneuvered around (the first SUV) which had stopped” and struck the victim, the press release indicated.

The victim was pronounced deceased on the scene by responders from Marion County Fire Rescue, the press release stated.

According to the FHP Crash Dashboard at flhsmv.gov, there have been four pedestrian fatalities to date in 2025 in Marion County.