First disturbance more than a month before official start of 2024 Atlantic Hurricane SeasonPainting rain barrels for a good cause
LABELLE, Fla. A 5-year-old girl was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries Saturday afternoon following a crash on State Road 80 near Fort Denaud Road, the Florida Highway Patrol said. Judith Hellwig, 55, of Fort Myers, was driving east on State Road 80 by Fort Denaud when she lost control of her 2016 Volkswagen EOS, the FHP said. She crossed the center line and hit 34-year-old Gema Guillen’s 2008 Chrysler Aspen. Four children were in the Chrysler, including the girl, who sustained a severe head injury. The Volkswagen overturned several times before landing on the grass shoulder of the road while the Chrysler until it came to a rest on the grass shoulder just north of the roadway, according to the FHP. The girl was taken to Lee Memorial Hospital. Hellwig is facing a DUI charge.