Woman, teen girl die following traffic crash in NW Marion County

[Photo courtesy Florida Highway Patrol]

Two people were killed and two were critically injured in a two-car crash Friday afternoon on U.S. Highway 41 in northwest Marion County.

According to the Florida Highway Patrol, a pickup truck driven by a 54-year-old Dunnellon man was traveling north on U.S. 41 when it left the roadway to the right and the driver lost control and “began to rotate while traveling towards the southbound lane of U.S. 41.”

The crash occurred at Northwest 13th Street at 4:50 p.m.

The front of the pickup collided with the right side of a sedan being driven south on U.S. 41 by a 51-year-old Beverly Hills woman. The passenger in the pickup, a 55-year-old Dunnellon woman, was ejected. The pickup came to rest in the southbound lane of U.S. 41 and the sedan came to rest on the west shoulder of U.S. 41, the press release indicated.

The woman was pronounced deceased at the scene by responders from Marion County Fire Rescue. Both drivers were taken to HCA Florida Hospital Ocala in critical condition. The passenger in the sedan, a 16-year-old Beverly Hills girl, was pronounced deceased at the hospital, the press release stated.

The press release stated that the occupants of the pickup truck were not wearing seatbelts while the occupants of the sedan did wear seatbelts.