HERNANDO COUNTY, Fla. – A tragic crash early last Sunday morning on the Suncoast Parkway has claimed the life of a young child. The Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) confirmed that a 4-year-old boy from Lecanto died last Wednesday, three days after being ejected from a pickup truck in Hernando County.
The single-vehicle accident occurred in the pre-dawn hours of Sunday, November 16, 2025. At approximately 3:50 a.m., a 42-year-old Lecanto man was driving a Toyota Tacoma northbound on State Road 589 (Suncoast Parkway), just north of State Road 50.
According to investigators, the driver lost control of the truck, causing it to veer onto the grass shoulder. In an attempt to recover, the driver overcorrected, sending the vehicle swerving back across the highway and into the median. The sudden shift in momentum caused the Tacoma to overturn several times.
Troopers reported that during the rollover, the 4-year-old passenger who was not wearing a seatbelt was thrown from the vehicle. He was rushed to a nearby hospital with traumatic injuries, but died from them on November 19.
The vehicle was packed with passengers at the time, including another child. A 5-year-old boy from Lecanto sustained minor injuries. Three men from Homosassa—ages 27, 28, and 35—were also in the truck; the 35-year-old suffered serious injuries, while the others, along with the driver, were treated for minor injuries.
The crash remains under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol.
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