Driver remained hospitalized in fatality
A driver remained hospitalized Thursday following a head-on crash that left one person dead.
Sergio Eduardo Rodriguez, 25, of 1175 Lake McGregor Drive, Fort Myers, was listed in fair condition at Lee Memorial Hospital, where he was taken Saturday after the accident on McGregor Boulevard.
A passenger in his vehicle, Brittany Leanne Thompson, 23, of 1166 S. Hancock Creek Blvd., Apt. 202, was also taken to the hospital. Fort Myers police stated that she died from the injuries she sustained.
At 11:05 p.m., Rodriguez was driving a Nissan sedan eastbound on McGregor. As he passed the intersection at Lynwood Avenue, an animal reportedly ran in front of his vehicle. Rodriguez told police that his front seat passenger grabbed the steering wheel and made the vehicle swerve to the right.
According to a report, Rodriguez overcorrected and the Nissan swerved into the westbound lane of McGregor. While still in the lane, Rodriguez’s car struck a Dodge sedan traveling westbound.
The driver of the Dodge, Angel Perez, 57, of 613 S.E. 23rd St., told officers that he was passing the intersection at Poinciana Avenue when he noticed another vehicle coming at him in the eastbound lane. Perez said the car suddenly swerved into his lane and he tried to avoid a collision, but he could not.
Rodriguez was transported to the hospital with incapacitating injuries, the report states.
Perez was not injured in the crash.
A second passenger in Rodriguez’s vehicle, Andres Jaramillo, 27, of 2401 Jasper Ave., Fort Myers, was also taken to Lee Memorial Hospital with injuries. Jaramillo has since been treated and released.
Three passengers inside Perez’s vehicle were also transported to Lee Memorial Hospital with non-incapacitating injuries – Jessica N. Groneman, 26, of Lexington, Kentucky; Kayli Ann Hoehn, 28, of 15740 Portofino Springs Blvd., Apt. 106, Fort Myers; and Leah Brubaker, 21, of Middletown, Ohio.
Hoehn and Brubaker have since been treated and released.
Groneman’s condition was unknown on Thursday.
According to the report, neither Rodriguez nor his two passengers were wearing seat belts.
Police suspected alcohol use in the accident and took a blood test from Rodriguez. It is unknown if drugs were also a factor. The results of the alcohol and drug tests were pending as of Thursday.