Suspect charged with vehicular homicide for NE 39th Avenue head-on crash

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A Gainesville woman was arrested and charged with two counts of vehicular homicide and one count of reckless driving with serious bodily injury when drove in the wrong direction on NE 39th Avenue on Sept. 1 and killed two teenagers.

According to a Gainesville Police Department (GPD) release, Jill Stone Barnash, 47, was arrested by Alachua County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO) deputies on Thursday after an arrest warrant was issued for her on Tuesday.

Jill Stone Barnash
Alachua County Jail Jill Stone Barnash

The incident occurred at 11:34 a.m. on Sept. 1 when GPD officers responded to a two-vehicle collision in the 3000 block of NE 39th Avenue where Barnash was driving a Buick SUV and traveling eastbound at a high rate of speed in the westbound lanes. Barnash struck a Toyota Corolla heading west in the curb lane.

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A 17-year-old male passenger in in the rear right seat of the Corolla was transported to the hospital where he died later that day.

Emergency responders transported the driver of the Corolla and a 17-year-old female passenger in the left rear seat to the hospital with serious injuries. On Sept. 24, the female passenger died from her injuries.

Witnesses said Barnash was driving at a high rate of speed and alternating between the east and west sides of the road.

Barnash is being held in the Alachua County Jail.

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