One killed, one seriously injured in accident north of Hawthorne

Compiled from Alachua County Fire Rescue and Florida Highway Patrol reports

At 3:30 p.m. Saturday fire and rescue crews from Alachua County Fire Rescue and Melrose Fire Department responded to a single-vehicle accident north of Hawthorne on US Hwy 301.  Fire and rescue crews found two patients with serious injuries. The vehicle had heavy damage and required the use of extrication equipment (Jaws of Life). 

A pickup truck driven by a 60-year-old Hawthorne man was traveling north on Hwy 301, just north of SE 57th Avenue. According to a witness behind the pickup truck, the truck changed lanes in front of him, almost colliding with the witness after changing lanes. The truck’s tires went onto the shoulder, causing the driver to lose control of the vehicle. The driver attempted to correct but was unsuccessful, and the truck hit a ditch and overturned. The truck flipped over a fence. The driver was fatally injured, and the 58-year-old male passenger, also a Hawthorne resident, was seriously injured.

The cause of the accident is still under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol. Alachua County Fire Rescue would like to remind motorists to stay alert and always wear your seatbelt.