Hernando County

February 19, 2025

News: ‘Elevate Florida’ program launched to help reduce risk from hurricanes, floods

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

TALLAHASSEE, FL – A new state program is aimed at helping Florida residents better protect themselves from future storms after the damage caused by Hurricanes Milton and Helene, WTSP reports.

The Florida Department of Emergency Management (FDEM) announced the launch of the Elevate Florida Residential Mitigation Grant Program.

Billed as an effort to strengthen community resilience, the first of its kind initiative provides property owners with federal and state-funded grants to elevate their property structures in order to reduce the risk of damage from natural disasters such as hurricanes and floods.

February 7, 2025

News: Driver dies after vehicle crashes into utility pole on State Road 50

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

HERNANDO COUNTY, FL – A single-vehicle accident in Hernando County killed the driver of a pickup truck, according to WFTS.

The crash took place early Sunday morning along State Road 50 near U.S. Highway 19 at about 12:42 a.m. The Florida Highway Patrol’s investigation found that a man driving a Toyota Tundra westbound was not able to negotiate a curve in the roadway. The vehicle entered the road’s north shoulder, where it collided with a utility pole, then came back across to the south shoulder and flipped.

The driver was ejected and died after being transported to a local hospital. The FHP said the victim was a 23-year man from Weeki-Wachee.

January 14, 2025

News: Woman killed, man injured when semi hits their car near U.S. Highway 301

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

HERNANDO COUNTY, FL – A collision between a car and a semi-truck in Hernando County left one person dead and another injured, WTSP reported.

The Florida Highway Patrol was called to the area of U.S. Highway 301 and State Route 50 after the crash occurred Sunday at about 1:49 p.m. The FHP’s investigation found that the driver of the car was heading east on State Route 50 and making a left turn at the intersection. The car entered the path of a westbound semi-truck and was hit by the truck.

An 86-year-old woman who was in the car was killed, while a 72-year-old man with her was hospitalized with serious injuries. The truck driver, a 66-year-old Iowa man, was not injured.

January 2, 2025

News: Spring Hill teen facing charges in fatal pedestrian collision in Hernando County

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

HERNANDO COUNTY, FL – State troopers announced an arrest in connection with a deadly pedestrian collision that occurred in Hernando County on Friday.

According to WFTS, a pedestrian from New York was struck and killed by a vehicle on Lenox Boulevard near the intersection with Ruby Falls Court. The Florida Highway Patrol said the victim was walking along the edge of the road at about 5 p.m. when he was struck by a BMW going south on Lenox Road. The pedestrian was pronounced dead at an area hospital.

The FHP said the driver of the BMW left the scene and eventually stopped on Maybelle Drive. The alleged driver, identified as 18-year-old Cameron Grosso of Spring Hill, was arrested on charges of leaving the scene of a fatal crash and attaching an unassigned license plate to the vehicle.

December 25, 2024

News: Driver killed when pickup truck crashes into tree in Hernando County

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

HERNANDO COUNTY, FL – A driver died after his pickup truck was involved a wreck in Hernando County early Saturday morning, according to the Tampa Free Press.

The accident occurred along northbound US-301 near Ranchette Boulevard. A man was driving a Ford Ranger at a high rate of speed at about 5:10 a.m. when he lost control of the vehicle and veered off the roadway. The Ford collided with a tree on the west shoulder of the road.

The driver, a 23-year-old man from Webster, Sumter County, died at the scene. No other vehicles were involved.

December 13, 2024

News: Crash involving car and semi shuts down stretch of I-75 in Hernando County

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

HERNANDO COUNTY, FL – Rescue crews were called to the scene of a crash involving a car and a semi-truck on Interstate 75 in Hernando County Wednesday.

According to a report by WTSP, the incident occurred shortly after noon and shut down the northbound lanes of I-75 at mile marker 304. A semi collided with a car, jackknifed and collided with a guardrail. The trailer of the truck went sideways as a result of the impact and blocked the northbound lanes.

Only minor injuries were reported, but drivers were advised to expect an extended closure and major delays. The exit for State Road 50 was recommended as an alternate route.

December 11, 2024

News: Man, 36, killed when ATV hits fence, overturns in Hernando County

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

HERNANDO COUNTY, FL – An accident in Hernando County killed the driver of an all-terrain vehicle on Saturday morning, WFTS reports.

The crash happened in the 3300 block of Saturn Road, where a man was driving a Polaris side-by-side ATV at about 12:44 a.m. The Florida Highway Patrol said he lost control while going around a curve. The vehicle went off the roadway, struck a fence and overturned.

The driver, a 36-year-old man from Brooksville, was thrown from the vehicle and died at the scene. Three passengers were not injured, the man’s 11-year-old daughter, his 36-year-old girlfriend, and her 10-year-old daughter.

December 2, 2024

News: Hurricane season ends after causing widespread damage in Florida

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

The 2024 Atlantic hurricane season came to end on Saturday, but it left behind dozens of deaths and widespread damage across the state of Florida.

There were 18 named storms during the season that began June 1, including three that directly impacted Florida: Hurricanes Debby, Helene and Milton. 63 people died as a result of those storms, and the Tampa Bay Business Journal reports they caused estimated losses of $5.3 billion, while bringing 314,000 insurance claims from homeowners and 16,000 by commercial property owners.

Following Hurricane Debby in early August, Hurricane Helene intensified rapidly before making landfall in Taylor County on the Florida coast Sept. 26 as a major Category 4 storm with sustained winds of 140 mp. It brought catastrophic flooding and widespread wind damage from Florida’s Gulf Coast to the southern Appalachians.

October 23, 2024

News: 4-year-old killed, woman and 7-year-old injured in Hernando County crash

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

HERNANDO COUNTY, FL – A car accident in Hernando County on Saturday night claimed the life of a 4-year-old girl, state troopers said.

A report by WTVT states that a woman was driving a Kia Optima south on State Road 589 near U.S. 98 when the crash occurred at about 10 p.m.

According to the Florida Highway Patrol, the driver lost control of the car and drove off the road, where the vehicle collided with a concrete culvert. The Kia went airborne, flipped, and ended up on the shoulder of the highway.

October 17, 2024

News: Estimates place Hurricane Milton among costliest storms to date

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

LARGO, FL – While Florida residents continue their efforts to recover from the damage caused by Hurricane Milton, the financial costs of the storm are becoming more clear.

WTSP reports details of an assessment by Karen Clark & Company, which estimates that privately insured losses from Hurricane Milton are expected to reach $36 billon. In terms of the most costly hurricanes on record, the total would rank Milton behind Hurricanes Katrina and Ian, while placing it at about the same level of losses as Hurricane Ida.

So far, the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation estimates combined insured losses from Hurricanes Helene and Milton at over $3 billion.