A 78-year-old Ocala man was killed Friday night after a sedan struck him while he was walking on U.S. 441 near Southeast 11th Avenue in Marion County. The driver, a 53-year-old Ocala man, was not hurt, and the crash remains under investigation.
According to WESH, troopers say the sedan was traveling north in the right lane at about 9:20 p.m. when it struck the pedestrian, who was walking on the right side of the northbound lane. The man was pronounced dead at the scene, and the driver was not injured in the crash.
Northbound lanes of U.S. 441 were temporarily shut down while investigators worked the scene, a closure that WKMG ClickOrlando reports has since been lifted as the crash remains under investigation. Troopers have not released the identities of the driver or the pedestrian, and no further details about what led up to the crash have been made public.
Investigation Continues as Few Details Emerge
The station's report notes this is an ongoing investigation, and updates will be released when available. Beyond the time, location and basic circumstances of the crash, authorities have not disclosed what preceded the collision or whether the pedestrian was crossing or walking along the roadway's shoulder.
Friday night's crash echoes an earlier tragedy on the same highway. On October 19, 2024, a 74-year-old Sebring man walking across U.S. 441 in Marion County was struck by a car and killed, according to the Florida Highway Patrol, as reported by WKMG ClickOrlando.
A County With a Rising Death Toll
The crash adds to what has become a grim tally for Marion County this year. By mid-October, the county had recorded at least 64 traffic fatalities in 2026, according to preliminary data from the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles cited by Voice of South Marion. That figure underscores the risks pedestrians and drivers alike continue to face along the county's busiest corridors, including U.S. 441.
No citations or charges connected to Friday's crash have been announced, and troopers have not said whether that status could change as the investigation continues.
