A 57-year-old resident of The Villages was killed during a high-speed pursuit in Marion County that also claimed the life of an Ocala woman.
Denise Allen of The Villages had been a passenger in a 2015 Lincoln driven by 29-year-old Brittany Chmilarski of Ocala which had been northbound at 10:30 p.m. Friday on U.S. 301 in Marion County.
Jaquard Cuyler, 26, of Wildwod, driving a 2013 VW Jetta had been fleeing at a high rate of speed from Marion County sheriff’s deputies when he failed to stop at a red light and struck the vehicle in which Allen and Chmilarski had been traveling, according to an accident report from the Florida Highway Patrol.
The VW Jetta went on to collide with a 2008 Chrysler Sebring driven by 70-year-old James Livers of The Villages. He and a passenger, 45-year-old Denise Anderson of Keswick, Ohio, escaped injury.
Allen and Chmilarski were pronounced dead at the scene by Marion County Fire Rescue.
Cuyler was critically injured and transported to Ocala Regional Medical Center. He died later from injuries suffered in the crash.
Deputies had been conducting a criminal investigation near the area of Juniper Road and Baseline Road, when “a suspicious vehicle attempted to flee the area,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement.
A traffic stop was initiated, however, Cuyler failed to stop for deputies and a pursuit was initiated. The vehicle fled south to the area of U.S. 301 and SE 132nd Street Road.
“Deputies pulled back their pursuit as the suspect vehicle accelerated approaching the intersection at a high rate of speed,” the statement said.
