FHP: Driver, 32, dies in single-vehicle wreck along County Road 315 early Tuesday morning

A single-vehicle crash in a rural section of Marion County claimed the life of the sole occupant early Tuesday morning.

Florida Highway Patrol troopers reported that a Volkswagen Jetta was traveling northbound on County Road 315 when it approached a right-hand curve.

The 32-year-old male driver from Ocala veered left off the two-lane roadway and onto the grassy shoulder.

Officials said the car first struck a wooden utility pole, then hit a large tree not far away before coming to a stop.

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Authorities said the man was trapped inside the vehicle. He died at the scene.

Officials said the vehicle crashed with so much force that the engine was ejected from the vehicle and landed several yards away. They said it appears that speeding may have been a factor on the 55 mph roadway and that he was on his way to Fort McCoy.

Other motorists driving by saw the crash and notified law enforcement officials around 4:15 a.m.

The area where the crash occurred, along CR 315, near Northeast 135th Street, is dark with no street lights. 

Next to the crash site is a road sign with the name Henry Shaw, who died in late September 2002.

Rising vehicular death toll in Marion

FHP records show Tuesday's fatality was Marion County's 83rd motor vehicle death so far in 2022. The figure, however, does not include data from cities of Ocala, Belleview and Dunnellon.

So far this month, FHP officials said they've tallied four deaths.

In 2021, the agency investigated 80 traffic deaths throughout the year.

Contact Austin L. Miller at austin.miller@starbanner.com.