Two women died at the scene after a Ford F-150 slammed into the passenger side of their Chrysler minivan at a busy Lake City intersection Saturday night, and the truck's driver ran off before officers arrived, according to police. The man identified as the driver, 32-year-old Jaron Carr of Lake City, was later arrested and is now being held not only on charges tied to the crash but also on active warrants out of Missouri and Brevard County, Florida.
The crash happened at approximately 8:51 p.m. on August 15 at the intersection of West U.S. Highway 90 and NW Centurion Court, according to the Mainstreet Daily News. A preliminary investigation determined the black Ford F-150 was traveling west on U.S. 90 when it struck the blue Chrysler minivan as it was turning at the intersection, leaving both vehicles with extensive damage. Witnesses told police the truck was moving at a high rate of speed just before the collision.
Lake City Police Department officers, along with Lake City firefighters and emergency medical personnel, responded within minutes and worked to provide lifesaving care to the two women inside the minivan. Both women died at the scene. Their names have not been released, pending notification of family members, per the police release relayed by Mainstreet Daily News.
Driver Fled the Scene, Was Later Detained
Investigators identified Carr as the driver of the Ford, and say he left the crash scene before officers arrived. He was later located and arrested by the Lake City Police Department, then detained and transported to the Columbia County Detention Center. Police have charged Carr with leaving the scene of a crash involving a death and with driving while his license was suspended or revoked.
A police report relayed by First Coast News confirmed Carr was actively operating the truck under a suspended or revoked license at the time of the crash. Beyond the Lake City case, Carr is also being held on an active warrant from Brevard County, Florida, as well as an outstanding warrant from Missouri. Court records in El Dorado Springs, Missouri previously listed Carr facing charges and warrants there for driving while intoxicated, driving without a valid license, and drinking in public, according to the El Dorado Springs Sun. Police say additional charges may be filed in the Lake City case as the investigation continues.
A Dangerous Stretch Near Interstate 75
The intersection of West U.S. Highway 90 and NW Centurion Court sits in a commercial corridor immediately west of Interstate 75, lined with hotels and heavy retail traffic, according to context provided by Travelocity. It is not the first time the crossing has turned deadly. In September 2024, a four-vehicle crash at the same intersection killed a driver and caused major, multi-hour traffic backups near I-75, as reported by 104.5 WOKV — in that incident, a driver rear-ended another vehicle on U.S. 90 before turning onto NW Centurion Court at high speed.
The crash adds to a troubling countywide trend. Columbia County recorded 1,525 total traffic crashes and 27 fatalities in 2024, a 12.5% increase in traffic deaths from the year before, according to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles 2024 Traffic Crash Facts Report. The county has averaged 24 traffic deaths per year over the three-year span from 2022 to 2024. A separate statewide study published by Oppenheim Law ranked Columbia County as having the third-highest per-capita drunk driving fatality rate among all 67 Florida counties in 2023, though it remains an open question whether alcohol or drugs played any role in Saturday's crash.
Mandatory Prison Time Possible Under Florida Law
Leaving the scene of a crash involving death is classified as a first-degree felony under Florida Statute § 316.027, carrying a mandatory minimum of four years in state prison and up to 30 years, along with at least a three-year driver's license revocation, according to the Florida Senate. The statute was established under the Aaron Cohen Life Protection Act specifically to deter drivers from fleeing fatal crash scenes. The law also requires those convicted to pay restitution for victims' losses, including medical and funeral expenses, and mandates an automatic, non-discretionary license revocation, per FindLaw.
Police have not released the identities of the two women who died, and the underlying charges behind Carr's warrants in Brevard County have not been detailed. Carr's charges remain allegations at this stage of the investigation. The Lake City Police Department is asking anyone with information to contact investigators at 386-752-4343, or to reach Crime Stoppers of Columbia County at 386-754-7099.
