Ashley Hunter
Greene Publishing, Inc.
On Wednesday, Oct. 12, around 11:18 p.m., a 2006 Mercury Grand Marquis was traveling westbound on Interstate 10 in the westbound lane near mile marker 266.
The vehicle traveled onto the median of the roadway and continued to travel into a southwesterly direction before the driver snatched the wheel back and overcorrected the Grand Marquis to the right.
The action caused the vehicle to travel across both westbound traffic lanes, and onto the northern shoulder of the road.
The vehicle rotated clockwise in one half of a rotation, and the backside of the car collided against a tree.
The vehicle came to a final rest facing southeast on the northern shoulder of I-10.
The driver, a 52-year-old unnamed woman from Plant City, Fl., was pronounced dead shortly after the wreck, and was transported to Tallahassee Memorial Hospital (TMH). The release of the driver's name is pending release until the woman's next of kin can be notified.
A passenger, Margaret Saranko Alred, 66, also of Plant City, Fl., was a passenger in the vehicle and sustained serious injuries during the collision. Alred was also transported to TMH.
Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) was assisted on-scene by the Madison County Sheriff's Office, Madison County EMS and the Lee Volunteer Fire Department.
FHP Trooper James D. Smith is the crash's investigator. Cpl. George Bedingfield is the crash's homicide investigator.
Look for next week's newspaper for updated information pertaining to the collision.