Florida Personal Injury Lawyers Blog

July 16, 2025

News: Woman charged with vehicular manslaughter for fatal accident in The Villages

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

THE VILLAGES, FL – An arrest has been made in connection with a fatal collision that occurred in The Villages on Dec. 13, 2024, according to a report by The Villages-News.

53-year-old Rhonda Michelle Gilbert of Ocklawaha has been charged with vehicular manslaughter in the crash on State Road 44 near the entrance to Lake Deaton Plaza. The Florida Highway Patrol said Gilbert was speeding in a 2024 Ford Fusion when she collided with a vehicle driven by 85-year-old Michael Frank DeMulling of New York, who was killed.

Crash data showed Gilbert had been traveling at 106 miles per hour in a 55 miles per hour zone, and witnesses said she had been passing vehicles and making lane changes prior to the wreck. Gilbert was freed on bond following her arrest earlier this month. She is scheduled to be arraigned on Sept. 2.

July 15, 2025

News: Ocala man killed in wreck after driver goes through stop sign in Marion County

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

MARION COUNTY, FL – A multi-vehicle wreck near Ocala in Marion Couty on Tuesday morning claimed the life of a passenger in one of the vehicles, according to WKMG.

The Florida Highway Patrol investigated the crash at the intersection of Marion Oaks Manor and Marion Oaks Boulevard. Troopers learned that the driver of a van traveling west on Marion Oaks Manor went through a stop sign at about 6:15 a.m. and collided with a van that was going through the intersection with the right of way. The second vehicle rotated and struck a car that was stopped for a stop sign nearby.

A rear passenger in the second van, a 28-year-old man from Ocala, suffered fatal injuries. Other occupants in the vehicles were taken to area hospitals with minor injuries.

July 14, 2025

News: Accident involving semi-truck shuts down Interstate 75 north in Marion County

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

MARION COUNTY, FL – An accident involving a semi-truck shut down a portion of Interstate 75 in Marion County on Friday morning, causing major traffic delays.

A report by WKMG stated that the semi was hauling a large excavator on a flatbed trailer at about 10 a.m. when it struck the Southwest 66th Street bridge overpass. Northbound lanes were blocked on I-75 at County Road 484 as the bridge was shut down for repairs.

The driver of the truck, a 71-year-old man from Ocala, was not injured in the incident. All lanes of Interstate 75 were reopened later in the day.

July 11, 2025

News: Collision on SW Williston Road in Gainesville claims lives of 2 children

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

GAINESVILLE, FL – Police said a two-vehicle collision in Gainesville on Thursday morning claimed the lives of two children, according to the Gainesville Sun.

The fatal wreck occurred on SW Williston Road near the on-ramp to northbound Interstate 75 at 6:08 a.m. An investigation determined that the driver of a 2013 Nissan van was heading east on SW Williston Road while the driver of a 2019 Nissan Altima was traveling westbound. The vehicles collided in the intersection to enter the I-75 north on-ramp.

Two children riding in the Altima, a six-month old and a 22-month-old, were pronounced dead after being taken to an area hospital. The driver of the Altima, a 28-year-old Gainesville woman, was hospitalized with serious injuries.

July 10, 2025

News: Vehicle accident causes road closures in area of Interstate 75 in Gainesville

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

GAINESVILLE, FL – Traffic was disrupted in Gainesville during Thursday morning’s commute following a vehicle crash in the area of Interstate 75, WCJB reports.

The incident occurred at about 6 a.m. and caused road closures in the area while authorities and emergency crews were responding. The I-75 north on-ramp at the exit for Williston Road was shut down, as was Southwest Williston Road west of Southwest 34th Street. Drivers were advised to seek alternate routes.

The Alachua County Sheriff’s Office and Gainesville Police Department were called to the scene. There was no immediate word on whether anyone was injured in the wreck.

July 9, 2025

News: 1 seriously injured in rollover accident at SR-26 and Quail Street in Melrose

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

MELROSE, FL – Emergency crews came to the aid of a person trapped in the wreckage of a single-vehicle crash in Alachua County on Tuesday morning, according to the Alachua Chronicle.

The incident happened in the vicinity of State Road 26 and Quail Street in Melrose at about 10 a.m. Alachua County Fire Rescue and the Melrose Fire Department arrived to find a vehicle on its side with a person inside.

With the use of hydraulic rescue tools, the rescuers were able to remove the vehicle’s roof and extricate the occupant. The victim was taken to an area trauma center to be treated for serious injuries.

July 8, 2025

News: Motorcyclist dies after being struck from behind by car on County Road 25

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

MARION COUNTY, FL – A two-vehicle collision in Marion County early Monday morning left one person dead and another hospitalized.

According to a WKMG report, the incident took place along County Road 25 in Belleview shortly before 3 a.m. The Florida Highway Patrol’s investigation determined that a motorcycle rider was heading east on County Road 25 when his bike was struck from behind by a sedan. Both vehicles went off the road near Southeast 108th Terrace Road.

The motorcyclist, a 47-year-old man from Belleview, died at the scene. The driver of the sedan, a 21-year-old Ocklawaha man, was taken to an area hospital for treatment, but no details were immediately released on his condition.

July 7, 2025

News: Motorcycle rider, 65, dies after colliding with pickup truck on State Road 46

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

SORRENTO, FL – The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating a deadly collision that took place in Lake County on Wednesday evening, WKMG reported.

A 2020 Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck and a 2001 Yamaha motorcycle were involved in the crash, which occurred near Sorrento at about 6 p.m. According to the FHP’s preliminary investigation, the Chevy driver was going westbound on State Road 46 and made a left turn at 4th Street. The pickup entered the path of the motorcycle and the vehicles collided.

The motorcycle rider, a 65-year-old man from Sorrento, died at the scene. The driver of the Chevy, a 49-year-old man from Apopka, was not injured in the wreck and remained at the scene.

July 4, 2025

News: Woman killed in collision with cargo truck on State Road 52 in Pasco County

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

PASCO COUNTY, FL – A truck and an SUV were involved in a fatal collision in Pasco County on Wednesday afternoon, WFTS reports.

The Florida Highway Patrol was called to the scene on State Road 52 after the wreck took place shortly before 2 p.m. The FHP’s investigation determined that a woman was driving west in a Ford Explorer when she made a U-turn. The Ford crashed into an international cargo truck that was going east on SR-52. The two vehicles ended up on the outside shoulder of the road.

The Ford driver, a 37-year-old resident of Wesley Chapel, died after being taken to an area hospital. The truck driver, a 51-year-old man from Orlando, was hospitalized with minor injuries.

July 3, 2025

News: Child dead, man injured after car crashes into utility pole in Citrus County

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

CITRUS COUNTY, FL – A single-vehicle wreck in Citrus County on Monday evening claimed the life of a 1-year-old girl, according to a WFTS report.

The fatal crash occurred on North Croft Avenue south of East Ramsey Street in the Inverness Highlands North area just before 7 p.m.

The Florida Highway Patrol said a 32-year-old man was driving a Chrysler 200 north on North Croft Avenue when he lost control of the car and drove off the road. The vehicle struck a utility pole, a tree and guide wires.