Pedestrian, on SR 200 in Hernando, FL, struck by rear-view mirror of vehicle
Hernando (Citrus County), Florida - At 12:45 pm on Wednesday, June 29, a 37 year-old female pedestrian from Crystal River, Florida was struck and injured by the rear-view mirror of a sport utility vehicle (SUV), a 2007 black Cadillac Escalade, driven by a 37 year-old man from Hernando. The vehicle was traveling south on State Road 200 (N. Carl G. Rose Hwy.) in Hernando, about 14 feet north of a t-intersection with Wagon Wheel Trail.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol crash report, the driver of the SUV told the Florida Highway Patrol trooper that he veered left, into the (shared northbound and southbound) center turn lane, to avoid striking a truck, also traveling south, that was stopped to make a turn onto Wagon Wheel Trail, which resulted in the left sideview mirror of the SUV striking the pedestrian, who was crossing the roadway.
After the collision, the SUV continued traveling in a southeasterly direction, leaving the roadway of State Road 200, traveling onto the eastern grass shoulder where it rotated in a clockwise direction, overturned onto its left side, and made approximately two overturn rotations, during which it collided with a stop sign and a sidedwalk railing. The SUV came to rest in the parking lot of the former Deni's Food Mart, located at 4473 N. Carl G. Rose Hwy,
The pedestrian was transported by emergency medical services via BayFlight air transport to Ocala Regional Medical Center in Ocala, Florida.
The driver of the SUV declined to use emergency medical services for transportation to obtain medical services, stating to the trooper that he would transport himself to a hospital to be checked out, according to the report. The report stated that the driver was not wearing a seatbelt, and he was ejected from the vehicle, so he was possibly injured. It also stated that he was distracted by an electronic communication device, and it did not appear that he was impaired. He was issued a citation for improper change-of-lane passing when meeting an oncoming vehicle. The report also stated that he was driving an estimated 55 mh in a 45 mph speed zone.
There were two witnesses to the incident.