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U.S. 19 crash claims two lives

A car crashed into the back of a 14' boat being towed by a second car on U.S. 19, triggering a series of crashes.

By STEVE THOMPSON
Published November 5, 2005

ARIPEKA - Driving home from work, Don Molloy saw the dark grey Mitsubishi Lancer swerving.

"I'd say a third of his car entered my lane," Molloy said. "He kept doing it."

Molloy, 24, says he honked, then pulled ahead of the other car to get away from it.

But in a few moments the Lancer was back, Molloy said, accelerating from behind him, to maybe 80 mph, as they traveled north on U.S. 19.

And in a flash the Lancer passed him, Molloy said, making him a front-row spectator to a horrific crash Saturday afternoon that would kill two people and shut down U.S. 19 for hours.

"I've seen accidents unfold right in front of me," said Molloy, who delivers for a propane company. "But I've never seen anything like this before."

As they approached Aripeka Road, the Lancer came behind a red Nissan Pathfinder pulling a 14-foot fishing boat.

"He didn't hit his brakes, didn't swerve, didn't do anything," Molloy said of the Lancer's driver. "He just rammed into the back of this boat like he didn't even know it was there."

The man pulling the boat was 62-year-old Robert Taylor of Veterans Village. He and his wife, Donna, were headed north to Hunter's Lake for some bass fishing.

"Next thing I know, I got a push, I got accelerated," Taylor said. Then he lost control. "I tried to steer out of it, but it just didn't happen."

Molloy said the Pathfinder spun around and was on two wheels as it and boat skidded into the southbound lanes.

Meanwhile, the Lancer also careened into the southbound lanes, and slammed head-on into a Suzuki Grand Vitara with two women inside, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

"There was stuff flying in the air, headlights and fenders and plastic pieces," Molloy said. "There was just dust everywhere, and smoke."

One of the women in the Grand Vitara was pronounced dead on the scene, said FHP Sgt. Brian Archambault. The other was flown by helicopter to a hospital. He did not immediately release their identities.

The driver of the Lancer - a man in his 60s, Archambault said - died shortly afterward.

Taylor's wife was shaken up by the crash at 3:15 p.m. and was taken to a hospital to be checked out. His Pathfinder had hit a Honda CRV carrying Dennis and Barbara Costagliola. They had been pulling onto U.S. 19 from Aripeka Road after a stop at the fruit stand there on the corner. Neither was hurt.

"We came way over here from Spring Hill just to get tomatoes," said Mrs. Costagliola, 66. "I wish I did without them."

[Last modified November 5, 2005, 21:08:01]