A pre-dawn wrong-way crash on Interstate 75 in Collier County left a 96-year-old Naples man dead and a 24-year-old local woman facing a DUI manslaughter charge early Wednesday, turning a quiet stretch of highway into a homicide investigation.
The collision happened around 4:18 a.m. on March 18, 2026, in the southbound lanes of I-75 near mile marker 110 in Collier County.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, 24-year-old Genise Gardenia Taylor of Naples was behind the wheel of a 2014 Nissan Rogue, traveling north in the southbound lanes, when her SUV slammed into two vehicles: a southbound 2025 Volvo XC60 driven by the 96-year-old victim and a 2019 Chevrolet Suburban driven by a 57-year-old man from Nashua, New Hampshire.
Troopers said the Volvo driver was taken to a nearby hospital with critical injuries and later pronounced dead. The Suburban driver suffered non-incapacitating injuries. Taylor had minor injuries, was treated and released from the hospital, then booked on a charge of DUI manslaughter. Southbound lanes of I-75 were shut down for several hours as investigators worked the scene and reopened around midday, according to IONTB.
Investigation and Booking
The Florida Highway Patrol is leading the crash investigation, with reconstruction teams examining physical evidence and roadway markings to piece together the sequence of events.
Collier County booking and arrest records are maintained by the Collier County Sheriff's Office, which also provides an online tool for public arrest and warrant searches: Collier County Sheriff's Office.
Wrong-Way Crashes: A Deadly Pattern
Wrong-way crashes are relatively rare compared with other types of collisions, but they are notoriously deadly. Research has repeatedly tied a large share of these incidents to alcohol impairment.
Studies from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety and investigations by the NTSB have found that many fatal wrong-way crashes involve intoxicated drivers. Those reports highlight potential countermeasures, such as ignition interlocks and improved ramp designs and signage, aimed at reducing these kinds of wrecks.
Florida Highway Patrol troopers say the Naples crash investigation remains active, and officials have released only limited information so far. This story will be updated as agencies make additional details public.
