Thursday, June 25, 2015

A WOMAN WAS KILLED TUESDAY AND NINE PEOPLE WERE INJURED AFTER A CHAIN-REACTION CRASH ON INTERSTATE 75 IN SUMTER COUNTY, FLORIDA



Sumter County Fire & EMS
Sumter chain reaction crash
A Summerfield woman was killed Tuesday and nine people were injured after a chain-reaction crash on Interstate 75 in Sumter County.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015 

BUSHNELL, FLORIDA

Authorities have identified a Summerfield woman who was killed Tuesday when her Mercury Sable was rear-ended by a tractor-trailer in a crash that left both vehicles on fire along Interstate 75.

Cynthia Wimmer, 58, died at the scene in a chain-reaction crash that had traffic backed up for 8 miles, according to Florida Highway Patrol report released Wednesday.

Nine other people received minor injuries.

Five of the injured were local residents in a car and camper struck by the same tractor-trailer that rear-ended Wimmer. They were identified as the Mangan family of The Villages — Connie, 68, Joseph, 68, Madeline, 10, Avery, 6, and family friend Kennedy Raine, 6.

According to a preliminary FHP report, the tractor-trailer was hauling oranges sou th on I-75 when it came upon idle traffic that was being diverted off the interstate due to a previous crash under the Exit 309 overpass.

The truck driver, Richard Holland, 52, of Villa Rica, Ga., failed to stop for the traffic and rear-ended Wimmer’s Sable, the FHP report states. His rig rolled on top of her car and both vehicles veered into the wood line and erupted in flames.

Holland’s tractor trailer continued to roll and collided with the Mangan family’s Toyota Camry, driven by Connie. The rig then struck another vehicle, a GMC Si erra, and jackknifed.

The driver of the Sierra, Brenda Lipply, 48, and three of her passengers, all of Tallahassee, also sustained minor injuries. All Lipply family members, John, 56, Jordyn, 13, and Sydney, 12, were taken to Bayfront Health Brooksville.

Holland, as well as the driver of a fifth vehicle involved in the crash, were not injured.

According to Leland Greek, Sumter County fire chief, seven trucks responded and it took firefighters about 20 minutes to extinguish the blaze.

It is not clear why Holland didn’t slow down.


“(The) crash occurred on a straight and level roadway,” said Sgt. Steve Gaskins, FPH spokesman for Sumter County.

The crash remains under investigation.

Wimmer was the second person killed in a Sumter crash on Tuesday who was identified Wednesday. A 52-year-old pedestrian was killed Tuesday after he was struck by a car near I-75.

Velija Ascic of St. Louis, Missouri, died at the scene. That crash occurred in Wildwood about 10:30 p.m.

According to the FHP, Ascic was attempting to cross State Road 44 near I-75 from the north. As he entered the outside westbound lane, he was hit by a Nissan Altima.

The driver, 24-year-old Jalisa Shuntel Jones of Ocala, was taken to Citrus Memorial Hospital with minor injuries.

The crash remains under investigation.