MARION COUNTY, Fla. — The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating a crash in Marion County that left three people dead and one person in critical condition Thursday afternoon.
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6:30 p.m. Update:
The Florida Highway Patrol said that the suspect who stolen the deputies cruiser is a 33-year-old woman, and one of the three people who died in this crash.
Troopers said the stolen cruised, an SUV collided with a pickup traveling the opposite direction on Highway 40.
Two of the occupants in the pickup truck also died, and one person in the pickup was transported to the hospital in critical condition, according to troopers.
FHP has not released any details on the occupants of the pickup at this time.
Original Story:
The crash happened on East Highway 40 in Silver Springs, just to the west of SE 196th Terrace Road, and involved a stolen Marion County Sheriff’s Office patrol car and a pickup truck.
According to FHP, troopers were called to the scene just before 2:30 p.m.
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According the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, a deputy was responding to a suspicious incident call around 2 p.m. at the Forest Plaza near the Winn Dixie. When the deputy made contact with one of the individuals suspected to be involved in that incident, another individual jumped into the deputies car and took off.
Deputies said the person who stole the car was not involved in the suspicious incident call.
The person in the stolen cruiser fled at a high rate of speed east on Highway 40. Another deputy pursued, and the driver of the stolen cruiser continued to flee at high rate of speed, eventually crashing into a pickup truck traveling westbound on Hwy-40.
See a map below:
Investigators confirmed that three people have died. None of the people involved have been identified.
All lanes of State Road 40 have been blocked in the area while FHP’s investigation continues.
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Deputies from the Sheriff’s Office are also on scene investigating the crash.
This story is still developing. Please stay with WFTV as more information comes into our newsroom.
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