A tragic sequence of events led to the death of a 73-year-old Webster man on the section of State Road 48 known as West Belt Street, in Bushnell.
The Webster man was driving a Silverado and had tethered a Toyota RAV4 to the back of his truck with a tow-strap.
The RAV4, which had a driver and passenger inside, separated and rolled into traffic while the Silverado was heading eastbound on the Sumter County road.
When the truck driver circled back toward the RAV4, he left his car and crawled underneath the SUV to try to reconnect it to his truck. During that time, a Bushnell man, 54, collided with the rear of the RAV4. The impact of his Audi A5 caused the Toyota to lurch forward over the Webster man and crash into the rear of his Silverado.
The Webster man died at the scene of the crash. The child passenger was not injured, but two Bushnell adults, a woman, 43, and a man, 18, in the Toyota received minor injuries.
Was the Audi driver following Florida’s ‘Move Over’ Law?
The Move Over Act was recently expanded to require drivers approaching any disabled vehicle stopped on the side of the road (especially those with hazard lights, flares, or visible people) to vacate the lane closest to that vehicle if there are two or more lanes available.
What if you can’t move over? If traffic is too heavy or you are on a two-lane road, you must slow down to 20 mph below the posted speed limit.
Under Florida’s updated 2025 statutes, the Audi driver was legally required to either move over or significantly slow down when he saw the disabled RAV4, regardless of whether emergency lights were flashing.
What are the safety protocols for disabled vehicles in traffic?
The Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) and the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) emphasize specific steps for broken-down vehicles to avoid the scenario that led to Driver 3’s death:
Stay Out of the Travel Lane: Never attempt repairs while the vehicle is in a travel lane. FHP advises that if a car cannot be moved to the shoulder, occupants should stay inside the vehicle with seatbelts fastened and hazard lights on until help arrives.
Call FHP (347): Florida provides a free service called Road Rangers. By dialing *347 on a mobile phone, drivers can get help from a Road Ranger in a protected truck with high-visibility lighting to shield the scene and help move the vehicle safely.
The danger of tow-straps
Using a simple tow-strap on a high-speed state road like State Road 48 is extremely dangerous, according to the Florida Highway Patrol’s guidelines. Professional tow trucks use specialized lighting and “under-reach” equipment to ensure they are visible to oncoming traffic.
The Webster man was in the most vulnerable position possible — underneath a car that was sitting in a live lane of traffic. FHP protocols strictly advise never crawling under a vehicle on a public roadway.
This article originally appeared on Daily Commercial: Webster man dies on SR 48 after trying to reconnect tow-strapped car
Reporting by Julie Garisto, Leesburg Daily Commercial / Daily Commercial
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
