CITRUS COUNTY, Fla. — A mother, identified as a Lecanto Middle School teacher, was killed and her children were injured in a crash between a dump truck and a minivan early Wednesday morning.
The Florida Highway Patrol said around 7:03 a.m., a 34-year-old man was driving the dump truck on West Homosassa Trail. The mother, 50, was driving east on Homosassa Trail in a Dodge minivan when the dump truck attempted to turn left, but entered the path of the minivan.
The dump truck then collided with the mini van, killing the mother. Her children who were in the car, a 16-year-old girl, 15-year-old girl and 12-year-old boy, suffered non-life-threatening injuries and were taken to local hospitals.
Lecanto High School shared on Facebook that Crystal Jackson died in the crash. Jackson was a social studies teacher with Lecanto Middle School and a former paraprofessional at Lecanto High School.
The dump truck's driver was uninjured.
Brides, families fighting for refunds after event venue closes suddenly
“We’ve struggled so hard to scrape the money to be able to do this for her,” Irizarry said. “She’s my only girl and I wanted this so much for her.”
Couples and families who had weddings and events planned at a well-known venue that abruptly closed claim they’re out thousands of dollars and aren’t being given refunds. Annette Irizarry was supposed to hold her 15-year-old daughter’s quinceañera in August at the Clearwater location and said she’s now out the $6,160 she paid. Without that money, Irizarry said she can’t afford to have her daughter’s celebration somewhere else.
