Ocala man dies after being ejected during crash in SE Marion County

[File photo by Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette]

A 40-year-old Ocala man died early Nov. 19 after he was ejected from the passenger seat of a pickup that left the roadway and overturned in southeast Marion County, the Florida Highway Patrol has reported.

According to an FHP press release, the crash occurred around 1:05 a.m. on Southeast 137th Avenue Road at Southeast 47th Street Road as the pickup, driven by a 20-year-old Ocklawaha man, traveled north on Southeast 137th Avenue Road.

The driver failed to negotiate a curve towards the right where the pickup exited the roadway and entered the west grass shoulder. The pickup struck several trees and overturned in a ditch on the west shoulder, the release stated.

The victim, who was not wearing a seat belt, was pronounced deceased at the scene by Marion County Fire Rescue, according to the press release.

The driver and another passenger, a 20-year-old Citra woman, both had minor injuries and neither wore a seat belt, the press release stated.

According to the FHP Crash Dashboard at flhsmv.gov, there were 71 traffic fatalities in Marion County from Jan. 1 to Nov. 11, based on preliminary data.