A driver was killed Friday morning in a single-vehicle crash on Southeast 92nd Loop in Marion County, prompting authorities to shut the roadway down in both directions while they investigated. Deputies responded to the scene around 7:30 a.m., and the driver was pronounced dead there.
Florida Highway Patrol troopers are investigating the deadly crash, according to WCJB. Marion County Sheriff's deputies responded to the single-vehicle wreck on Southeast 92nd Loop, the station reports. Authorities blocked the road in both directions at Southeast Baseline Road and Southeast 110th Street Road as the investigation got underway, according to the same report.
Separate reporting from Shore News Network indicates authorities had not released the driver's identity and had not disclosed what caused the crash. That outlet also reported that no other vehicles were involved and that officials said they would provide an update once the roadway reopened. The cause of the crash remained under investigation as of Friday morning.
A County Already Leading Florida in Traffic Fatality Rate per Capita
Friday's fatal wreck adds to a grim distinction for Marion County. Through August 8 of this year, Marion County recorded Florida's highest vehicle fatality rate, with 53 traffic deaths among its 457,325 residents, a rate of roughly 1.16 deaths per 10,000 people, per data reported by Ocala-News. Only two rural Panhandle counties, Calhoun and Liberty, reported zero traffic fatalities during that same stretch, the outlet's analysis found.
Marion County's rate outpaced every other county in the state. Volusia County ranked second with 62 fatalities and a rate of 1.01 deaths per 10,000 residents, the data shows. Duval, Polk and Brevard counties rounded out the top five, posting rates of 0.95, 0.87 and 0.71 respectively, while far more populous Miami-Dade and Orange counties posted much lower rates of 0.05 and 0.46 despite recording 136 and 71 fatalities overall.
Authorities have not said how Friday's crash might factor into that larger count, and no roadway-condition or toxicology information has been released. Drivers in the area were advised to avoid Southeast 92nd Loop near the closure points and seek alternate routes while crews worked the scene.
