Man dies in county line crash

[File photo by Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette]

A 76-year-old Inverness man died March 11 as the result of a traffic crash at the Citrus /Marion County line on Southwest State Road 200, the Florida Highway Patrol reports.  

The crash which involved three vehicles occurred around 7:30 p.m. The press release states an SUV driven by the victim was traveling south on SR 200, approaching the Citrus/Marion County line, as a sedan driven by a 37-year-old Inverness woman, followed by an SUV driven by an 85-year-old Inverness man, were approaching the county line northbound on SR 200.

“(The victim) attempted to pass in a no passing zone and (the victim’s SUV) entered the north travel lane while traveling southbound and failed to observe oncoming (sedan). As a result, the left side of (the victim’s SUV) collided with the left side of (the sedan),” according to the press release. “After impact with the sedan, the victim’s SUV continued in a southerly direction and the front of (the northbound SUV) collided with the left side of (the victim’s SUV).”

The victim was pronounced deceased at an area hospital. The drivers of the two other vehicles, who both wore seat belts, received minor injuries, according to the press release.

The FHP Crash Dashboard at flhsmv.gov states that according to preliminary data there were 11 traffic fatalities in Marion County from Jan. 1 to March 4.