Florida Highway Patrol said the pickup had been reported stolen before its driver fled an attempted traffic stop early Monday.
UMATILLA, FL — A 44-year-old Umatilla woman was killed early Monday when a pickup truck fleeing an attempted police traffic stop ran a red light and crashed into her Jeep at a Lake County intersection, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
The crash happened about 4:20 a.m. Nov. 9 at State Road 19, also known as Central Avenue, and Guerrant Street in Umatilla. Troopers said the driver of a 2018 Nissan Frontier was traveling south on State Road 19 when he entered the intersection against a red light and struck a 2019 Jeep Cherokee traveling east on Guerrant Street.
FHP said the Umatilla Police Department had attempted to stop the Nissan shortly before the collision because the pickup had been reported stolen. The driver did not stop and continued south before the crash, according to authorities. The front of the Nissan struck the left side of the Jeep as the vehicles entered the intersection.
The woman driving the Jeep was pronounced dead at the scene, troopers said. Authorities had not publicly identified her in the initial information released about the crash. No passengers were reported in the Jeep in the accounts released Monday.
The Nissan driver, described by FHP as an adult man whose identity was still being confirmed, suffered serious injuries. He was taken to HCA Florida Lake Monroe Hospital in Sanford for treatment, according to reports citing the highway patrol.
The collision prompted an emergency response and temporarily affected traffic along State Road 19 early Monday. Initial reports from the scene described a closure along Central Avenue while investigators worked at the crash site. Later information from FHP placed the collision at State Road 19 and Guerrant Street.
Authorities have not released additional details about when or where the Nissan was reported stolen, who owned the pickup or how long police had been attempting to stop it before the crash. The available information also did not indicate whether officers were actively pursuing the vehicle immediately before the collision.
FHP is handling the crash investigation. Troopers said the case is also an active criminal investigation and that charges against the Nissan driver are pending. Authorities had not announced specific charges as of Monday.
The investigation remained active Monday, and officials had not released additional information about the driver’s identity or any final findings on the events leading to the fatal collision.
Author note: Last updated November 9, 2026.