FHP: He Stopped to Help - Seconds Later He Was Killed

iSkyNews and Media March 17, 2026

⚠️ AI-generated image used for illustration purposes only

By Ciara Perez, Senior Multimedia Correspondent

iSkyNews.com (ISN) – Published March 17, 2026

iSkyNews.com | Florida

73-year-old man killed in crash after tow strap failure on SR-48 in Sumter County

WEBSTER, Fla. — A tragic crash in Sumter County claimed the life of a 73-year-old man Monday evening after a towing attempt along a rural roadway turned deadly, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

Troopers say the crash occurred on March 16, 2026, at approximately 7:40 p.m. along State Road 48, just west of West Street.

According to investigators, a Chevy Silverado (Vehicle 3) was traveling eastbound while towing a Toyota RAV4 (Vehicle 2) using a tow strap. At some point, the tow strap became disconnected, leaving the RAV4 stopped in the travel lane.

Authorities say the driver of the Silverado then turned around to reconnect the vehicles. During that process, the 73-year-old driver from Webster exited his truck and positioned himself underneath the disabled RAV4 in an attempt to reattach the strap.

Moments later, a third vehicle — an Audi A5 (Vehicle 1) — traveling eastbound failed to stop and slammed into the rear of the disabled RAV4.

The force of the impact pushed the RAV4 forward, running over the 73-year-old man, before continuing into the rear of the Silverado.

The driver of the Silverado was pronounced dead at the scene.

Other occupants involved in the crash sustained minor or no injuries: