A 21-year-old Minneola woman was killed early Tuesday morning when her vehicle struck a tree and caught fire in Sumter County.
The Florida Highway Patrol reported that the woman was traveling westbound on County Road 478 at approximately 4 a.m. when the accident occurred. According to investigators, the driver was operating a Mazda CX-9 west of County Road 747 when she failed to negotiate a curve in the road.
The vehicle departed the roadway, struck a fence, and subsequently collided with a tree. Upon impact, the SUV caught fire.
The driver suffered fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene. The crash remains under investigation.