Hernando County

April 11, 2025

News: Hurricane Milton caused damage of over $34 billion, new report finds

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

The National Hurricane Center has released a new report on the damage caused by Hurricane Milton last October, according to WPTV.

The analysis concluded that Milton, one of the strongest hurricanes on record in the Atlantic basin, caused 15 deaths, 12 in Florida and three in Mexico. Six people died in a tornado near Fort Pierce and Vero Beach. Four people were killed by falling trees and two deaths were due to freshwater flooding.

The storm had an estimated economic cost of over $34 billion, almost all of it in Florida.

February 27, 2025

News: Spring Hill man, 20, dies in Hernando County motorcycle crash

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

HERNANDO COUNTY, FL – The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating a collision in Hernando County that killed a motorcyclist on Tuesday morning.

According to the Hernando Sun, the crash occurred at the intersection of U.S. 19 and Windward Boulevard. State troopers said the driver of a GMC SUV was headed north on U.S. 19 at about 7:34 a.m. and tried to make a left turn at Windward Boulevard, where the vehicle entered the path of a southbound Honda motorcycle.

The vehicles collided, causing the SUV to veer onto the shoulder of the road and hit a roadway sign. The motorcycle came to a stop on the highway. The motorcycle rider, a 20-year-old man from Spring Hill, died at the scene. The SUV driver, a 52-year-old Spring Hill woman, suffered minor injuries.

February 25, 2025

News: 18-year-old driver killed when pickup truck crashes on U.S. 301

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

SUMTER COUNTY, FL – A wreck in Hernando County last week claimed the life of a teenage driver, the Villages-News reports.

The Florida Highway Patrol said the 18-year-old was driving a Ford F-250 pickup truck north on U.S. 301 Feb. 19 when the accident occurred just before 9 p.m.

The driver lost control of the vehicle on the wet roadway north of State Road 50, and the pickup overturned. The driver, a man from Webster, was pronounced dead at the scene.

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.