A stretch of S Central Avenue in Umatilla is shut down after a deadly crash early Monday morning, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. The crash happened just before 4:30 a.m. at Devault Street, closing off the roadway as investigators work the scene.
Florida Highway Patrol says the closure is centered at Devault Street, and drivers are being asked to steer clear of the area while the investigation continues, as reported by WESH. For those who need to get around the closure, Rose Street and CR-450A are available as detours, per the same report.
WESH said it had reached out to the Florida Highway Patrol for additional details on the crash, though no further information was included in the station's report. Hoodline will share updates on this developing story as they become available.
A Second Fatal Crash Shut Down Nearby CR-439 in August
Monday's closure isn't the only time traffic near Umatilla has been snarled by a deadly wreck this year. In August, a separate fatal crash shut down County Road 439 near Umatilla, also according to the Florida Highway Patrol, as reported by InsideLake.com. That crash happened around 5:45 p.m. on a Monday near Freeman Drive, and the road was closed at County Road 42 while crews worked the scene.
Umatilla has also seen fatal crashes investigated by Florida Highway Patrol in years past. Back in February 2023, a single-vehicle crash on Live Oak Ranch Road near County Road 439 killed two people on a Saturday morning in unincorporated Umatilla, and the agency opened an investigation into that incident as well, InsideLake.com reported at the time.
No other details about Monday's crash, including what led to it or who was involved, have been released. Drivers in the area are encouraged to use the posted detours until the roadway reopens.
