Witness: Teen going 100 mph in Leesburg crashed Jaguar into SUV, Northgate Animal Clinic

Frank Stanfield
·2 min read
A Jaguar estimated to be traveling more than 100 mph slammed into a Cadillac Escalade at the intersection of Martin Luther King Drive and U.S. Highway 441/27 Monday evening, causing an explosion of car parts and the speeding car to flip onto the side of a building several feet away. The teenage driver was airlifted following the crash.
A Jaguar estimated to be traveling more than 100 mph slammed into a Cadillac Escalade at the intersection of Martin Luther King Drive and U.S. Highway 441/27 Monday evening, causing an explosion of car parts and the speeding car to flip onto the side of a building several feet away. The teenage driver was airlifted following the crash.

LEESBURG — A Jaguar estimated to be traveling more than 100 mph slammed into a Cadillac Escalade at the intersection of Martin Luther King Drive and U.S. Highway 441/27 Monday evening, causing an explosion of car parts and the speeding car to flip onto the side of a building several feet away. It also broke a wooden power pole.

The young man in the car was pulled from the wreckage and airlifted to Ocala Regional Medical Center, according to authorities on the scene.

Ken Hutcheson, whose business, Champion rentals, sits on the busy corner leading to Wal-Mart, described the driver as an 18-year-old Spanish-speaking youth, who was bleeding profusely and kept repeating, “my papa’s car.”

“I pulled him out of the car,” Hutcheson said.

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A part of a car sits on the lawn in front of Northgate Animal Clinic in Leesburg Monday evening. Around 6:25, a Jaguar estimated to be traveling more than 100 mph slammed into a Cadillac Escalade at the intersection of Martin Luther King Drive and U.S. Highway 441/27 Monday evening, causing an explosion of car parts and the speeding car to flip onto the side of the clinic.

The crash, which happened around 6:25 p.m. Monday, was caught on Hutcheson's store’s surveillance camera. It shows the late-model SUV turning left to head north on U.S. 441/27 when it is suddenly struck by the southbound silver car. Then, there is an explosion, a massive smoke-filled cloud and car parts flying everywhere.

“I could hear the Jaguar accelerating before the crash,” he said.

One wheel landed in from of Hutcheson’s store, another was embedded in the side of Northgate Animal Clinic where the car finally came to rest leaning up against the front of the building. A spring from the front-end, along with other parts, ended up in the Wells Fargo bank parking lot, probably about 50 yards away.

Car parts scattered after a Jaguar estimated to be traveling more than 100 mph slammed into a Cadillac Escalade at the intersection of Martin Luther King Drive and U.S. Highway 441/27 Monday evening, causing an explosion of car parts and the speeding car to flip onto the side of the Northgate Animal Clinic.
Car parts scattered after a Jaguar estimated to be traveling more than 100 mph slammed into a Cadillac Escalade at the intersection of Martin Luther King Drive and U.S. Highway 441/27 Monday evening, causing an explosion of car parts and the speeding car to flip onto the side of the Northgate Animal Clinic.

Hutcheson said he didn't smell any alcohol on the driver, but he was not wearing a seatbelt.

He said the man and woman in the Cadillac did not appear to be hurt, but that he told them they needed to go to hospital to be evaluated. The collision deployed the air bags in their car.

A Jaguar estimated to be traveling more than 100 mph slammed into a Cadillac Escalade at the intersection of Martin Luther King Drive and U.S. Highway 441/27 Monday evening. The teenage driver of the Jaguar was airlifted after the crash, but the passengers in the SUV appeared to be uninjured, according to a witness.
A Jaguar estimated to be traveling more than 100 mph slammed into a Cadillac Escalade at the intersection of Martin Luther King Drive and U.S. Highway 441/27 Monday evening. The teenage driver of the Jaguar was airlifted after the crash, but the passengers in the SUV appeared to be uninjured, according to a witness.

Leesburg Fire, Lake EMS, Leesburg Police, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and the Florida Highway Patrol responded to the call.

Authorities shut down one southbound lane following the crash. It was still closed around 9 p.m.

A Florida Highway Patrol officer, who viewed the surveillance video, declined to comment on the accident, saying he was not authorized to speak to the press. Further details from authorities were not available Monday night.

A Jaguar estimated to be traveling more than 100 mph slammed into a Cadillac Escalade at the intersection of Martin Luther King Drive and U.S. Highway 441/27 Monday evening, causing an explosion of car parts and the speeding car to flip onto the side of a building several feet away. The car also broke a wooden power pole.
A Jaguar estimated to be traveling more than 100 mph slammed into a Cadillac Escalade at the intersection of Martin Luther King Drive and U.S. Highway 441/27 Monday evening, causing an explosion of car parts and the speeding car to flip onto the side of a building several feet away. The car also broke a wooden power pole.

Hutcheson said there has been 67 crashes at the intersection since he has been in business at that corner, “four very violent.”

He blames a blinking yellow turn light for causing some of the problems.

“They see that, and they think they should go,” Hutcheson said.

This article originally appeared on Daily Commercial: Teen airlifted after crashing into SUV, animal hospital in Leesburg