Two women from Ankeny, Iowa, were killed Friday night in a three-vehicle crash on U.S. 19 at West Venable Street in Citrus County, a busy stretch of roadway along Florida’s Nature Coast. State troopers say the collision happened about 9 p.m. and involved a Ford F-250, a northbound Buick Enclave and a Dodge 2500. Two passengers in the Buick died at the scene, while the Buick’s driver suffered minor injuries and was taken to a local hospital.
How troopers say it unfolded
State troopers told Tampa Free Press the chain reaction started when a 27-year-old Lecanto man driving a Ford F-250 tried to make a left turn into the path of the northbound Buick Enclave. The impact flipped the pickup and sent the Buick spinning into the southbound lanes, where it was hit by a Dodge 2500. Two passengers in the Buick, women aged 71 and 78 from Ankeny, Iowa, were pronounced dead at the scene. The truck’s driver and his 29-year-old passenger were not hurt, and the men in the Dodge, both from Weeki Wachee, also reported no injuries, according to the reporting.
US 19 and Florida’s crash picture
U.S. 19 is the main north–south artery along Florida’s Nature Coast and has seen multiple serious crashes in recent years, a pattern that state and local agencies track as they decide where to focus safety upgrades. Florida’s annual Traffic Crash Facts reports and online crash dashboard offer county-level breakdowns that help planners flag high-risk corridors, according to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Transportation officials use those datasets to guide improvements aimed at reducing chain-reaction collisions like this one.
Investigation ongoing
Troopers with the Florida Highway Patrol remained on scene and continued their investigation into the crash. Authorities have not released further information about contributing factors or any possible charges. The agency is expected to publish an official crash report once troopers finish their work, and anyone with information is asked to contact FHP, according to Tampa Free Press. This story will be updated as new details are released.
