SUV plows into pillar, kills Fort McCoy driver in Marion County crash

Marion County now stands at at least 66 vehicular deaths this year, a total driven by a late-night collision that killed a 39-year-old resident of Fort McCoy. The incident added to a grim tally that had previously reached 64 fatalities across 62 crashes, according to preliminary data from the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles compiled through Oct. 22.

The Florida Highway Patrol logged the fatal accident at 11:07 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 28, at the intersection of SW 110th Avenue and SW 95th Avenue Road in southwest Marion County. The driver was heading south on SW 110th Avenue when the vehicle failed to halt at a stop sign.

The SUV crossed the path of SW 95th Avenue Road and slammed directly into a large concrete pillar located off the roadway. The impact instantly engulfed the vehicle in flames. Emergency responders arrived at the scene and pronounced the driver dead at the location of the crash.

The FHP report notes that the woman was wearing a seatbelt during the incident. This death follows closely on the heels of another tragedy that occurred just days earlier on County Road 484, where a 33-year-old Orlando motorcyclist lost their life in a separate crash.

The sequence of events marks a sharp increase in the county's recorded fatalities. The previous count of 64 deaths stood as the baseline before the latest incident pushed the number higher. The new total reflects the cumulative effect of these two recent accidents on the annual record for the region.