Marion Police Looking for Answers in Drag Racing Death

Police working within Marion County are still looking for answers regarding a traffic incident that resulted in the death of a 44-year-old Ocala man believed to be involved in a drag race on the 21st of April.  According to official police reports, the incident happened inside of County Road 316’s eastbound lanes, where the posted speed limit is 55 miles per hour.  Based on the severity of the damage done to the 44-year-old’s car, authorities believe the vehicles involved in the crash were traveling at far greater speeds.

It was close to 12:30 in the afternoon when the incident took place.  The Ocala man was behind the wheel of a 1968 Camaro when he and another driver, believed to be behind the wheel of a Chevrolet Blazer, began to engage in a drag race.  The reports did not speculate on the area along County Road 316 where the race began, and it also failed to mentioned where the race ended.  We do, however, know that the conclusion arrived abruptly when the driver of the Camaro lost control of their vehicle.  It is very likely that the excessive speeds with which this man was traveling contributed to the loss of control and subsequent crash.

The car swerved to the left and then began to spin in a counter-clockwise motion as the driver attempted to wrestle the vehicle back under his power.  Before he could do this, the car collided with an enormous tree that was standing close to the road’s north shoulder.  The force of the collision between the Camaro and the tree was so extreme that the car split in half.

The front end of the car came to a final stop along the northern border of the tree.  The back half, including the middle and rear of the car, continued spinning counter-clockwise until it reached the north shoulder of the road.  Once it reached the shoulder, it stopped.

Emergency response crews rushed to the scene and transported the 44-year-old man to Orlando Regional Medical Center.  Despite the best efforts of the medical staff on hand, and despite the fact that the man was wearing a seatbelt at the time of the incident, he was declared dead shortly after arriving at the hospital.

James O. Cunningham

Since 1977, personal injury lawyer James Cunningham has provided effective legal advocacy to people who are injured through the negligent actions of another person or entity throughout the Central Florida area. He fights to obtain recoveries for his clients’ physical and emotional pain and suffering and pursues his clients’ personal injury cases with a commitment to excellence and impeccable preparation.