Two die in fiery SE Ocala crash

Scene of Feb. 20 fatal collision in Ocala. [Photo by Jennifer Hunt Murty]

At 8:23 p.m. Feb. 19 the Ocala Police Department received a call about a crash involving two vehicles, a car and an SUV, near the 1500 block of Southeast 36th Avenue, which blocked traffic for several hours.

When OPD officers arrived, they saw that the car, a white Mazda Miata, was fully engulfed in flames. Ocala Fire Rescue personnel arrived and extinguished the flames within minutes. A male and a female inside the car were declared deceased at the scene. The male had been ejected from the vehicle.

The SUV, a gray Mercedes, was being driven by a juvenile and that person was taken to a hospital with serious injuries.

On Feb. 20, OPD posted this request on social media: “We are requesting the community’s assistance regarding last night’s deadly crash on SE 36th Ave. If you were in the area of the incident, around 8:20 p.m. and may have witnessed the event, or if you have any relevant home surveillance footage including Ring cameras, please come forward. We are seeking information from anyone who observed the vehicles involved, a white Mazda Miata and a gray Mercedes SUV, at any moment on SE 36th Ave.—especially if you noticed any instances of erratic driving.”

The post noted that “every piece of evidence or testimony can be crucial in piecing together the details of this incident, and we greatly appreciate your cooperation in this ongoing investigation.”

Anyone with information is asked to call OPD at (352) 369-7000 or Crime Stoppers at (352) 368-7867.