A routine cleanup job along a rural Marion County roadway turned deadly Monday afternoon when a car slammed into a downed tree and the man cutting it, killing him at the scene and leaving the driver with minor injuries, according to troopers.
How troopers say it happened
Florida Highway Patrol investigators said the man was working along County Road 329, about a mile north of County Road 320, standing near the white painted edge of the southbound lane with a chainsaw as he cut up a fallen tree. A car heading south on CR 329 hit the tree and then the man, troopers said. The crash remains under investigation, according to News4JAX.
Victim and driver details
WFTV reported that the victim was a 42-year-old man from Micanopy and that traffic-homicide investigators were called to the scene. The station said troopers were still piecing together what happened Monday evening and had released only limited details.
Investigation and local context
The Florida Highway Patrol said the investigation is ongoing and that the victim’s name has not yet been made public, according to News4JAX. Similar roadside fatalities have hit Marion County in recent months, as a 73-year-old man was killed in April when a pickup struck his lawnmower, according to WESH.
