Double Truck Crash Backs up Traffic in Both Directions, Crash Victim Air Lifted to Hospital

HIGH SPRINGS ‒ Traffic was backed up on U.S. Highway 441 at Northwest 202^nd Street in High Springs on Friday, Oct. 23, due to a two-vehicle crash.

At 11:10 a.m., Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) officers were called to the scene of a crash between a yellow box truck, driven by a 70-year-old Citrus Springs man and a white 2019 Toyota Tundra, driven by a 50-year-old Alachua man.

According to the FHP, the driver of the Toyota was traveling north on Northwest 202^nd Street. The 2013 GMC 3500 was traveling west on U.S. Highway 441. The driver of the Toyota failed to stop at the stop sign at U.S. Highway 441 and entered the intersection. At that time, the Toyota was struck on the right side by the yellow truck.

After the crash the Toyota overturned several times as it traveled northwesterly. Both vehicles came to a final stop on the grass shoulder of the north side of U.S. Highway 441.

Crews from High Springs Fire Department (HSFD) Engine 29 and Squad 29, plus Alachua County Fire Rescue (ACFR) Forest Park Engine 80 extricated the injured driver of the yellow box truck using the Jaws of Life. The six firefighters were able to remove the injured driver in approximately 12 minutes by removing the bottom hinge of the front driver’s side door. Also on hand was a crew from ACFR Rescue 24 (Jonesville).

ShandsCair flew to Fellowship Baptist Church at 16916 N.W. U.S. Highway 441, where law enforcement from the High Springs Police Department and the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office had established a landing zone, to pick up the driver of the yellow truck. ACFR crews transported the driver to the helicopter and a second ACFR crew drove the other driver to the hospital.

Both men were listed by FHP as having serious injuries. According to the FHP, both men were wearing seat belts at the time of the crash.

Initially, the northbound lanes of U.S. Highway 441 were blocked, followed by the southbound lanes for a short time while the helicopter landed and took off again. It is reported that fire crews were on the scene for approximately 45 minutes.

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