SUMTER COUNTY, Fla. – A Sunday night crash at a Sumter County intersection has left one person dead and three others injured after a Kia Sportage failed to stop and was broadsided by another SUV.
The Florida Highway Patrol responded to the scene at the junction of US-301 and CR-462 at approximately 9:07 PM on April 5, 2026.
Investigators say the Kia Sportage was headed eastbound on CR-462 when it entered the path of a southbound Acura MDX. The force of the collision sent the Kia onto the grass shoulder, where it flipped over multiple times. The Acura spun out and came to a stop in the middle of the US-301 travel lanes.
A 46-year-old woman from Ocala, who was an occupant in the Kia, suffered fatal injuries and died at the scene. A 36-year-old man from Anthony, also in the Kia, was taken to the hospital with injuries that were not considered life-threatening.
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Troopers are currently facing a hurdle in their investigation: because neither person in the Kia was wearing a seatbelt, the impact shifted them from their original positions. FHP is still working to confirm which of the two Ocala-area residents was actually driving at the time of the impact.
The two occupants of the Acura, a 17-year-old driver from Middleton and a 17-year-old passenger from Wildwood, both escaped with non-life-threatening injuries.
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