A 78-year-old trucker from Orlando was involved in a fatal crash in Lake County on Friday afternoon that left one person dead.
The fatal accident, which involved a semi-truck and pickup truck, occurred shortly after 2 p.m. on Friday, July 18, near the intersection of County Road 44A and County Road 439, according to a report from the Florida Highway Patrol.
FHP stated that the elderly Orlando man was traveling westbound on County Road 44A in a semi-truck, and a 56-year-old Eustis man was heading eastbound on the same roadway in a Dodge Ram pickup truck.
A witness told FHP investigators that as both vehicles neared the intersection of County Road 439, the semi-truck “ran the red traffic signal” and began to make a left turn. As a result, the semi-truck entered the direct path of the pickup truck, and a collision ensued.
The semi-truck’s driver was transported to AdventHealth Waterman ER in Tavares for treatment of “non-life-threatening” injuries.
The driver of the pickup truck was transported to HCA Florida Lake Monroe Hospital in Sanford, where he was pronounced deceased.
The crash remains under investigation, according to FHP.