A 63-year-old Trenton man who was critically hurt in a March 12 single-vehicle crash on Interstate 75 in Alachua County has died, the Florida Highway Patrol said. Troopers reported that his sedan ran off the right side of the roadway and struck a utility pole about a mile south of State Road 26. He was taken to a hospital with critical injuries and later died on May 5. According to FHP, the crash and the man's subsequent death remain under investigation.
What Troopers Say
The FHP said the crash was called in at 4:45 p.m. on March 12 and that the driver, identified only as a 63-year-old man from Trenton, was heading north on I-75 when his sedan left the roadway and hit a power pole, according to News4JAX. Troopers told the outlet the man was wearing a seat belt at the time of the wreck. The official crash report did not explain what caused the vehicle to leave the road or list any additional circumstances.
Local Reporting And Status
A Gainesville station also reported that the man died this week and that the crash report contained no further identifying information, according to WCJB. The Florida Highway Patrol's investigation into both the March crash and the later death is ongoing, and officials had not released whether any charges or citations were expected.
Why Run-Off Crashes Matter
Run-off-road collisions are a leading cause of severe injuries on county highways, and local planners have recently mapped high-crash corridors and potential countermeasures in Alachua County's safety planning documents, according to Alachua County. Measures under consideration include shoulder rumble strips, clearer signage and vegetation management to help reduce lane-departure wrecks along stretches of I-75 and nearby state roads.
The Florida Highway Patrol asked anyone with information about the crash to contact the agency's crash investigators, the outlet reported. This story will be updated if FHP or the victim's family release additional information.
