The owner of a landscaping and tree removal business was airlifted to an Ocala hospital late Tuesday afternoon after being ejected from his work truck during a crash on U.S. Hwy. 27/441 in Leesburg.
Ryan Farner, of Leesburg, who owns Twisted Pine Outdoor Services LLC with his wife, Andrea, suffered serious injuries in the crash at the intersection of U.S. Hwy. 27/441 and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. Friends reported on social media that he suffered a broken pelvis, a collapsed lung and other injuries in the 5 p.m. crash.
Andrea Farner reported that her husband was in a lot of pain and scheduled to undergo pelvic surgery on Wednesday morning. She said his truck may have flipped nine times, he broke a tooth and he needed eight staples in the back of his head to close a laceration. And she offered thanks to everyone who had come to visit Farner.
“God had his hand on him for sure,” she wrote. “Keep praying y’all!”
Firefighters from the Leesburg Fire Department and Lake County Fire Rescue, along with Leesburg police officers and Florida Highway Patrol troopers, responded to the crash scene, which was near the Leesburg Wal-Mart. A smashed black sedan was left sitting in the middle of the intersection and Farner’s truck – minus its back wheels – came to rest further down the southbound side of the roadway, partially in the driveway of the Northgate Animal Clinic.
The medical helicopter that airlifted Farner landed in the parking lot of the nearby Harbor Freight Tools, behind the animal clinic. Click HERE to see a video of it arriving at the crash scene.
Traffic was backed up for several hours following the crash, as all of the southbound lanes and one northbound lane of U.S. Hwy/ 27/441 were closed. Crews also were called in to clean up pieces of the truck that came apart in the crash, as well as a diesel fuel spill near the intersection.
On Wednesday, Farner’s friends were weighing in on his Facebook page with words of encouragement.
“Sending prayers to you Ryan. I wasn’t there this time but you had an angel with you! Praying for a quick recovery,” wrote Mike Reilly, of Orlando.
“Hey buddy, you’re such a strong spirited man and an awesome friend… May God continue to have His hands around you and your wife. Prayers for your recovery and prayers for strength for your wife as she is by your side,” wrote Misty Dewalt, who is from Marion, Ohio.
One friend, Rob Wayne, a paramedic who lives in Ocala, said he had just gotten home from the hospital after visiting with Farner.
“All I can say is in all my years of working Emergency Services, I’ve never seen anyone endure the mechanism of injury he has and survived. He is truly a miracle. Spoke briefly with him. He is stable, resting… Keep Ryan Farner and his wife Andrea and family in your prayers please.”
A Gofundme account was started to help with Farner’s medical expenses. As of late Wednesday afternoon, $875 of the $2,000 goal had been raised. To contribute, click HERE.
