From the Florida Highway Patrol
Troopers from the Florida Highway Patrol responded to a single-vehicle collision in Hernando County yesterday that resulted in a passenger's death and the arrest of the fleeing driver.
According to the FHP report, at approximately 6:58 p.m., a Ford F-150 was traveling northbound on Mariner Boulevard, south of Quality Drive in Spring Hill, at a high rate of speed.
The collision occurred on Mariner Boulevard, south of Quality Drive in Spring Hill, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
The driver failed to negotiate a curve in the roadway and entered the center median, where the front-seat passenger, who was not wearing a seat belt, fell out of the vehicle.
The vehicle continued to the west shoulder and collided with a utility box. The driver fled the scene on foot and was later located by Hernando Sheriff’s Deputies following a K-9 track approximately one mile from the crash scene.
The front seat passenger, a 34-year-old West Palm Beach man, was transported to an area hospital and later died from injuries suffered during the crash. Two other male passengers from Miami, aged 29 and 47, suffered minor injuries and were not transported from the crash scene.
The driver, identified as Reinier Casola Rodriguez, 38, of Tampa, was transported to an area hospital for care of minor injuries. He was determined to be impaired and was arrested by FHP Troopers for DUI Manslaughter, Leaving the Scene of a Crash Involving Death, Driving While License Suspended Involving a Death, and Felony Battery for striking a nurse attempting to provide him medical care.
Rodriguez, who refused to provide a breath test or blood sample, was later delivered to the Hernando County Jail following his medical care.
The FHP did not release the names of the passengers in the vehicle.
This is a breaking news story and may be updated if more details are known.
