Three High Springs residents, including an eight-year-old, were killed when the 4-door Infiniti Q45 they were in crashed Tuesday evening in Alachua. The victims include Jarron Irby, 8, his mother, Faith President, 27, and her mother Mary President, 61, all of High Springs. Irby was a third grader at High Springs Community School. Faith President also attended the school as a child.
The accident occurred around 6:44 p.m. when the Infiniti carrying the three High Springs residents appeared to speed out of control, striking several poles and going airborne. The three people in the car were headed from High Springs to Alachua, traveling on U.S. Highway 441, Alachua Police Department (APD) Officer Jesse Sandusky said.
“They were traveling at a high rate of speed, but we are still working on the numbers,” he said.
Brian Crawford of Alachua was involved but uninjured in the accident when the mid-size sedan struck the driver side fender of his Ford F-150.
Crawford said he was traveling in the outside lane when the Infiniti came speeding and swerving by, clipping the front of the truck he was driving and then leaving the roadway. Crawford and other witnesses said after the car ran into the ditch, it continued across the front of the Chevron gas station before hitting a culvert and embankment and becoming airborne.
Once in the air, the car continued toward Days Inn, striking several light fixtures, snapping a wooden utility pole at about 15 feet from the ground, and flying only inches from a semi truck in the parking lot. The car reportedly continued upward, striking a large metal sign pole at about 20 feet in the air. The pole sheared the car into two sections, the smaller falling beside the sign and the larger falling and skidding across the Days Inn lot before hitting a parked Chevrolet Avalanche.Sandusky said police arrived just moments after the accident, but there were no survivors.
“One of our officers was across the street at Bob’s Citgo, heard the crash and raced over to the scene,” said Sandusky.
Some witnesses estimated the speed of the car to be in excess of 100 miles per hour while it was traveling on U.S. 441. The speed of the car and other details of the crash were still being pieced together Wednesday evening according to Sandusky.
The car also reportedly ran through the red light at Country 235A near Santa Fe High School, but APD Lieutenant Patrick Barcia could not confirm that Tuesday night. Barcia said police were investigating who was driving the car, use of seatbelts and if substances or medical conditions might have contributed to the accident. Medical Examiners were to perform autopsies on the victims, which may provide clues. Police did not say if they were looking into possible mechanical malfunctions of the car such as a stuck gas pedal.