A 46-year-old Orlando man is facing a felony charge after investigators say he fled on foot from a crash on Clarcona Road that left a 37-year-old man dead. Jason Salustro was arrested Tuesday night after Orange County Sheriff's deputies and state troopers found him about a mile from the crash scene near the intersection of Clarcona and Gilliam roads, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
The crash happened around 7:23 p.m. Tuesday, as reported by WFTV. Troopers said Salustro was driving a 1998 Chevrolet Tahoe south on Clarcona Road and attempted to turn left near Gilliam Road when he drove into the path of a northbound 1999 Honda Civic. The Tahoe struck the front of the Civic with its front-right side, per troopers.
Witnesses told investigators Salustro ran from the scene after the collision and called law enforcement, the station's report notes. Orange County Sheriff's deputies and state troopers searched the area and located him about a mile away. He suffered only minor injuries and was wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash, FHP said.
Civic Driver Died at Hospital
The driver of the Honda Civic, a 37-year-old Orlando man, was taken to AdventHealth Apopka, where he was later pronounced dead. FHP said the Civic driver was not wearing a seat belt. His name has not been released pending notification of next of kin, and that identification remains an open question as the investigation continues.
Salustro was booked into the Orange County Jail on a charge of leaving the scene of a crash involving death. Trooper Gonzalez is investigating the crash itself, while Corporal Nettles is leading the homicide investigation, according to the same account. Clarcona Road near Gilliam Road was temporarily closed after the crash before reopening.
What Salustro Could Face Under Florida Law
Leaving the scene of a fatal crash is classified as a first-degree felony under Florida Statute § 316.027(2)(c), carrying a mandatory minimum of four years in state prison, a maximum of 30 years, and a fine of up to $10,000. That mandatory minimum was written into law under the Aaron Cohen Life Protection Act, passed in July 2014 after a 31-year-old cyclist was fatally struck by a driver who fled the scene in 2012, according to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.
A conviction would also trigger an automatic driver's license revocation of at least three years under Florida Statute § 322.28, and courts are required to order full financial restitution to the victim's estate under § 316.027(1)(d), per the Florida Senate.
A Corridor With a Deadly History
The Clarcona roadway network has seen severe collisions before. A March 2021 crash at Clarcona-Ocoee Road and Gaymar Drive killed two mothers and three children, prompting Orange County Public Works to accelerate speed management studies and install new traffic signals along the corridor, according to Orange County Government. The Florida Department of Transportation is currently executing a $2.7 million safety project at Clarcona-Ocoee Road and U.S. 441, with signal upgrades and traffic separator construction bringing lane closures this month, per CFLRoads.
Hit-and-run crashes remain a persistent problem across Florida. Roughly 25% of all motor vehicle crashes in the state involve a driver who flees, totaling 104,273 hit-and-run collisions in 2023, and 271 people died in such crashes that year, with more than 81% of those fatalities occurring during dawn, dusk, or nighttime conditions, according to FLHSMV data. Orange County itself recorded 25,261 total traffic crashes resulting in 167 fatalities in 2025, keeping it among the deadliest counties in the state for drivers and pedestrians, as Hoodline has reported. The county's Vision Zero Action Plan, approved in August 2024 with a $3.8 million federal grant, aims to eliminate traffic deaths by redesigning its most dangerous corridors.
It remains unclear whether prosecutors will pursue additional charges once the homicide investigation led by Corporal Nettles concludes, or when the Civic driver's identity will be released to the public.
