FHP SUV – A Florida Highway Patrol SUV was rear-ended Friday morning at a Columbia County intersection, sending three people to the hospital. Two victims with serious injuries were airlifted to UF Health in Gainesville.
COLumbia County, Fla. — The Florida Highway Patrol SUV sat stopped at a red light when the impact came from behind.
Friday morning, around 11:23 a.m., an unmarked FHP SUV was rear-ended at a Columbia County intersection on US-90 at Southeast Baya Drive, according to an FHP press release. The patrol vehicle was stopped in the left lane, eastbound on US-90.
Troopers said a maroon Nissan sedan approached from behind in the same lane and struck the rear of the patrol vehicle.
The crash left three people hurt. The driver of the Nissan, an 84-year-old man from Marianna, sustained serious injuries. A front-right passenger in the Nissan, an 89-year-old woman also from Marianna, sustained serious injuries as well. The two were airlifted to UF Health in Gainesville for medical treatment.
The driver of the FHP SUV, a 47-year-old man from Lake City, sustained minor injuries and was transported to a hospital in Lake City for treatment.
The crash remains under investigation.
For a brief moment, the scene at US-90 at Southeast Baya Drive turned into a race against time—two airlifted for serious injuries, while the driver of the patrol SUV was taken to a local hospital. Troopers continue to piece together how the crash unfolded as the investigation continues.
Florida Highway Patrol FHP Columbia County US-90 Southeast Baya Drive crash rear-ended UF Health Gainesville Marianna Lake City investigation