Mainstreet Daily News
A Lake City man and a Live Oak woman were seriously injured in a car accident that occurred while the two were fleeing from authorities.
The incident occurred late Wednesday morning, according to a Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) press release. The driver of a 2012 Chrysler 200, a 32-year-old Lake City man, and his passenger, a 27-year-old woman, were fleeing from Columbia County Sheriff’s deputies on West Duval Street when they approached the intersection at North Marion Avenue.
A 2016 Ford van, driven by a 38-year-old Lake City woman, was traveling north and went to make a legal left turn on West Duval when the Chrysler 200 ran a red light, striking the front right of the van, FHP said. The collision sent the Chrysler 200 off the roadway and into a concrete pole in the parking lot of Vann Carpet One.
Emergency responders air transported the driver of the Chrysler 200 to UF Health in Gainesville. The passenger in the Chrysler 200 and the driver of the van both went to Lake City Medical Center for treatment.
Neither of the people in the fleeing vehicle were wearing seatbelts, according to FHP.
FHP did not disclose why the couple was fleeing from deputies. A spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Editor’s note: We will update this story as more information becomes available.