HERNANDO, Fla. — Florida troopers arrested a man accused of driving under the influence after he slammed into the back of a car, triggering another crash that resulted in the death of its driver.
Robert Vanzant, a 31-year-old from Lady Lake, Florida, faces charges of DUI manslaughter, vehicular homicide, leaving the scene with death, leaving the scene with injuries and driving while license suspended with death, according to a Florida Highway Patrol crash report.
Troopers say Vanzant was speeding south in his truck just before 2:30 p.m. Sunday on North Carl G Rose Highway in Citrus County, passing other traffic on the shoulder. He merged back into traffic near East Spruce Drive when he crashed into the back of a Honda Accord.
That crash pushed the Honda across the highway, where it hit a bridge rail and then crashed into a Ford F-150 truck heading north.
The Honda driver, a 62-year-old man from Lecanto, Florida, died from his injuries at the hospital while the truck driver, a 42-year-old from Beverly Hills, Florida, suffered a minor injury.
After the crash, Vanzant drove to a nearby gas station, got out of his truck and ran off into a pasture, FHP said. Deputies from the Citrus County Sheriff's Office caught up to him before he could be arrested by the Florida Highway Patrol.
Vanzant was not hurt, the crash report reads.