19-year-old Estero woman dies in I-75 crash after boat gets loose, crosses lane

Writer: Derrick Shaw
Published: Updated:
An Estero woman was killed after her car struck a dislodged boat and was then struck by a tow truck on I-75 in Lee County early Sunday. (Credit: LCSO)

A boat that became dislodged from a passing truck caused a crash early Sunday that claimed the life of a 19-year-old Estero woman on I-75 in Lee County.

The Florida Highway Patrol says the woman was headed south on the inside lane, south of Bayshore Road, when she collided with the boat, which had been dislodged from a trailer attached to a truck headed north. The boat crossed the median and came to a stop partially on the inside southbound lane, which is when the woman’s sedan struck it.

The victim’s car rotated from the initial impact with the boat and then collided with an oncoming tow truck. Both vehicles came to a stop on the shoulder of the interstate, with the tow truck partially atop the sedan.

The crash happened shortly after midnight.

The tow truck’s driver, a 43-year-old North Fort Myers man, was not injured.

The FHP says the crash is still under investigation. Troopers say the boat was dislodged from the truck “in an earlier crash,” but did not provide further details.

The Florida Highway Patrol no longer releases the names of those involved in crashes, citing Marsy’s Law.

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