A 30-year-old man has been arrested in connection with an accident that claimed the lives of two women early Monday morning on Interstate 75.
Killed in the accident were 23-year-old Alexa Leigh White of Palm Bay and a 50-year-old Juliette Connally of Tucson, Ariz., according to an accident report from the Florida Highway Patrol.
The women had been traveling southbound on I-75 near Mile Marker 318 in a 2011 Hyundai Sonata at 12:21 a.m. when their vehicle was struck from the rear by a 2013 Ford Expedition driven by Robert Anthony Benton of Fort Myers. His vehicle had been speeding, the accident report noted.
White died at the scene of the accident. The 50-year-old woman was transported to Ocala Regional Medical Center where she later died from injuries suffered in the crash.
Benton suffered minor injuries. He was arrested on charges of DUI manslaughter, vehicular homicide and driving while license suspended.
In July, Sumter County Fire & EMS had to cut the door off a minivan to free a driver after a crash at the same location. You can read more about that traffic crash HERE
Sumter County recently endorsed a plan to try to make I-75 a bit safer. You can read more about that HERE
