A 32-year-old Webster man was killed early Saturday when his pickup left County Road 707 in Sumter County, slammed into a tree and went up in flames, according to state troopers. The single-vehicle crash happened around 12:20 a.m. on May 9, and the driver was pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigators with the Florida Highway Patrol said the truck was a Dodge Ram that veered off the pavement in the 10000 block of CR-707, went onto the shoulder and struck a tree, which triggered the fire. Troopers have not released the driver’s name and said the specific reason the vehicle left the road is still under investigation. Those details were reported by the Tampa Free Press.
FHP leads the investigation; crash reports restricted
The Florida Highway Patrol is handling the inquiry and maintains a live crash dashboard for trooper-investigated incidents. The agency's Florida Highway Patrol Traffic Incidents page notes that live reports update frequently and that crash reports containing personal information are exempt from public disclosure for 60 days under state law. Troopers said they will release more information as it becomes available.
Rural roads, tree strikes and a worrying pattern
Single-vehicle run-off crashes into trees have proved particularly deadly on rural stretches in and around Sumter County. In March, troopers investigated a similar wreck that killed a 24-year-old man in Bushnell, highlighting the risk posed by narrow shoulders and dense tree lines. That earlier story and statewide crash data were detailed in a previous Bushnell tree-crash report, which cited Florida crash statistics on fixed-object fatalities.
FHP troopers said no other vehicles or passengers were involved in the CR-707 collision and the cause remains under active investigation. Authorities did not immediately release the victim’s name, and anyone with information is asked to contact the Florida Highway Patrol, as noted by the Tampa Free Press.
