Driver rescued after crashing into tree in early morning Ocklawaha accident

Posted on 5.19.25 6:48 AM
ContributedA damaged vehicle rests off the roadside in Ocklawaha as Marion County Fire Rescue Engine 27 responds to the May 17 crash. Marion County Fire Rescue

OCKLAWAHA, FL (352today.com) – A driver was pulled from the wreckage of a single-vehicle crash early Saturday morning after their car struck a tree in Ocklawaha.

According to Marion County Fire Rescue (MCFR), units were dispatched at 6:01 a.m. on Saturday, May 17, to the area of 16 Bay Court Pass following a 911 call reporting the crash and a driver trapped inside the vehicle. Fire crews from Weirsdale Station #27 arrived at 6:11 a.m. and found the driver entrapped.

Emergency vehicles with flashing lights parked on a rural road at dawn, including an MCFR ambulance and command SUV, with moon visible in early morning sky.
Marion County Fire Rescue units from Weirsdale Station #27 respond to an early morning crash in Ocklawaha on May 17, 2025. Courtesy: Marion County Fire Rescue
Wrecked red car in a grassy area near trees after crashing into a tree in Ocklawaha; severe front-end damage with door open and airbags deployed.
Wrecked red car in a grassy area near trees after crashing into a tree in Ocklawaha; severe front-end damage with door open and airbags deployed. Courtesy: Marion County Fire Rescue

MCFR says that paramedics began extrication at 6:13 a.m. The driver was freed just three minutes later and was declared a “Trauma Alert” before being rushed to a local trauma hospital.

The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating the cause of the crash.