A Kissimmee man who died early Friday after driving his sedan into an Osceola County retention pond suffered from a medical problem before the crash.

By Jerriann Sullivan, Orlando Sentinel

12:46 p.m. EDT, May 24, 2013

A Kissimmee man who died early Friday after driving his sedan into an Osceola County retention pond suffered from a medical problem before the crash.

Jose Soto Maisonet, 39, was driving a 1994 Honda Accord north on John Young Parkway, approaching Osceola Parkway, at about 1 a.m. and attempted to make a left turn onto westbound Osceola Parkway, Florida Highway Patrol said.

The vehicle traveled northwest onto the shoulder of the road and into a retention pond at the intersection, an FHP report said.

• Related

• 

  911 audio: Man dies in pond crash

• 

  Traffic Cameras: Check your Orlando-area commute

• 

  I-4 $2.1 billion makeover visualized

• Photos

• 

  Pictures: Gallery of road spills

• 

  Pictures: Interstate 4: The wild, wacky and tragic

• 

  Pictures: Costumed police nab Florida speeders

• See more photos »

  • 

    Top 10: America’s worst traffic cities of 2010

    

    Pictures: Florida specialty license plates

• Topics
• 
  
  Florida Highway Patrol
  
• 
  
  Kissimmee
  
• 
  
  Cell Phones
  
• See more topics »
• Maps

• North John Young Parkway West Osceola Parkway, Kissimmee, FL 34741, USA

Troopers are not sure what caused the crash, but learned that Maisonet had “severe medical issues” and believes he “suffered a medical episode” prior to crashing.

Television stations reported that a witness saw Maisonet on his cellphone prior to the crash, but the Osceola County Sheriff’s office said it did not receive a 911 call from the victim. FHP said the witnesses they spoke with did not see the driver using his cell phone.

Deputies did receive four 911 calls from bystanders, including an unidentified woman who began crying watching the sedan sink while waiting for rescue officials to show up.

“Oh my God, it’s gone,” she shouted. “Somebody help!”

The Kissimmee Fire and Rescue dive team had to remove the victim from the vehicle, FHP said. He died at the scene.

An investigation is ongoing.

jesullivan@tribune.com or 407-420-5620

Article source: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-kissimmee-pond-crash-20130524,0,6824957.story

An Osceola County couple was identified Thursday as the victims of a fiery weekend crash near Poinciana, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

Ramon Martinez, 67, and his wife, Awilda Martinez, 65, of Kissmimee died about 3:40 p.m. Sunday after their SUV crashed on Cypress Parkway, according to FHP.

The Martinezes were driving eastbound near Dover Plum Avenue when their 2010 Ford vehicle ran off the road for unknown reason, struck a tree and caught fire.

• Topics
• 
  
  Florida Highway Patrol
  
• 
  
  Poinciana
  

The crash remains under investigation.

Hcurtis@tribune.com or 407-420-5257.

Article source: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/breakingnews/os-osceola-crash-deaths-fhp-20130523,0,3099719.story

A 64-year-old Orlando man was struck and killed by a car while crossing State Road 50 in east Orange County shortly after he was in an earlier crash as a motorist, troopers say.

After Richard Johnson’s car collided with another vehicle at Vermont Street and Exeter Street in Bithlo, he walked two blocks south to SR-50, where he was struck and killed by 43-year-old Michael Binsol’s 2008 Ford Mustang.

The fatal crash happened at about 9:35 p.m. Wednesday. Binsol was not injured.

• Topics
• 
  
  Orange County (Florida)
  
• 
  
  Dwayne Johnson
  
• 
  
  Florida Highway Patrol
  
• See more topics »

The Florida Highway Patrol crash report said Johnson stepped directly into the path of Binsol’s car.

No charges have been filed at this time.

Troopers are still investigating to determine what, if any, charges are appropriate.

dstennett@tribune.com or 407-420-5447 or @desi_stennett on Twitter.

Article source: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/breakingnews/os-orlando-pedestrian-killed-crash-20130523,0,928813.story

An Orlando man was hit by a car and killed early Sunday in Hernando County, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

Oswaldo Davila, 50, was standing in a traffic lane on Northcliffe Boulevard in Spring Hill just before 3:30 a.m. when he was struck by a 2001 Volkswagen Jetta driven by Robbie Leanus Robinson, 25, of New Port Richey.

Davila died at the scene. Robinson and a passenger were not hurt.

• Related

• 

  Orange County Jail booking mugs – updated daily

• 

  Interactive map: Orange County murders

• 

  Get alerts: Sign up for breaking news text alerts and e-newsletters

• Topics
• 
  
  Florida Highway Patrol
  
• 
  
  Hernando County (Florida)
  
• 
  
  Spring Hill (Hernando, Florida)
  
• Maps

• Hernando, FL, USA

Charges are pending in the crash, according to FHP.

dbreen@tribune.com

Article source: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/breakingnews/os-crash-kills-orlando-man-20130519,0,2954879.story

 MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – Authorities said a 68-year-old woman from Orlando, Fla, was killed in a two-vehicle crash in Savage on Monday that involved as many as five people.

The Minnesota State Patrol responded to the crash at about 12:10 p.m. Monday on Highway 13 at Dakota Avenue. When authorities arrived, a 2006 International tow truck was westbound on Highway 13 and turning onto Dakota Avenue with the yield sign when it was hit by a 2010 Kia Soul that was headed eastbound on Highway 13.

Authorities said the driver of the tow truck, a 37-year-old Bloomington man, had failed to yield to the Kia. The Minnesota State Patrol identified the victim as Maria Mendez of Orlando, Fla. She was a passenger in the Kia. The driver of that car, a  16-year-old girl, suffered non-life threatening injuries.

Two other passengers in the Kia, a 68-year-old man and a 46-year-old, suffered non-life threatening injuries. According to the Hennepin County Medical Examiner, Mendez died from multiple blunt force injuries sustained in the crash. She died about an hour after the crash.

The Minnesota State Patrol was assisted at the crash scene by the Savage Police Department.

Article source: http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2013/05/22/florida-woman-68-killed-in-savage-crash/

ORLANDO, Fla. –

Deputies said a possible serial burglar and robber was arrested early Tuesday after a pursuit and crash in Orange County.

According to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, a deputy tried to pull a car over after burglaries and robberies were reported near Kaley Street and Orange Blossom Trail in Orlando.

The driver took off, however, leading deputies on a pursuit through some back streets, said officials, who added that the car spun out near 17th Street and Orange Blossom Trail and crashed into a tree.

The man, who was bitten by a K-9, was arrested.  His name has not been released.

Orange County sheriff’s deputies said they found several cartons of cigarettes in the man’s car, which may be linked to one of the recent burglaries.

Article source: http://www.clickorlando.com/news/man-arrested-after-pursuit-crash-in-orange-county/-/1637132/20232600/-/dv478wz/-/index.html

A man accused of robbing local businesses for cartons of cigarettes led police on a chase Tuesday before crashing a stolen pickup truck into a tree, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office said.

Deputies and Orlando police believe Vernon Jeffrey Williams, 47, is responsible for two armed robberies and eight commercial burglaries throughout Central Florida, said Lt. Paul Hopkins.

Authorities were responding to a commercial burglary in the 7000 block of West Sand Lake Road at about 3 a.m. when they noticed the vehicle described matched the description of a stolen pickup truck suspected of being used in a string of burglaries, Hopkins said.

• Topics
• 
  
  Motorvehicle Accidents
  
• 
  
  Transportation Accidents
  
• 
  
  Orange County (Florida)
  
• See more topics »
• Maps

• South Orange Blossom Trail, Orlando, FL, USA

“He was on something,” Hopkins said. “He just wasn’t right.”

Deputies located the truck heading eastbound on Kaley Street near South Orange Blossom Trail and attempted to pull it over, but the driver refused and led a police chase on Kaley Street, Michigan Street and onto Interstate 4 eastbound driving about 100 mph, Hopkins said.

They continued pursuing Williams onto State Road 408 eastbound before he exited onto Orange Avenue and started intentionally swerving at three different vehicles, the arrest report said.

“It was apparent by the suspect’s driving pattern he was intentionally trying to cause an accident directly in front of me to terminate my pursuit of him,” a report said.

Williams turned onto Michigan Street westbound as additional deputies joined the police pursuit, the report said. He turned north onto South Rio Grande Avenue, east onto Kaley Avenue, and then north onto Nashville Street before turning east onto Miller Street.

“Due to the suspect’s reckless and erratic driving pattern he lost control of his vehicle and struck a tree” in the 1000 block of West Miller Street, according to the report.

One of the deputies following Williams “experienced brake failure” and hit the pickup truck on the driver’s door, the report said.

Williams refused to lie on the ground after exiting the truck despite deputies issuing three K9 warnings and the police dog eventually bit and pulled him down, Hopkins said.

Orlando Fire Department and Rescue treated Williams’ minor facial, head and arm injuries from the air-bag deployment and dog bite before transferring him to the Orlando Regional Medical Center.

Williams was booked on charges of aggravated fleeing and attempting to elude law enforcement and grand theft and is being held without bond.

Orlando Police and Orange County deputies are working together to further investigate the robbery and burglary incidents and expect to bring additional charges.

jesullivan@tribune.com or 407-420-5620

Article source: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/breakingnews/os-serial-burglar-crash-20130521,0,2492716.story

Orlando police are investigating what caused a vehicle operated by a St. Cloud driver to leave the roadway, hitting and killing a woman who was walking along Semoran Boulevard early Monday.

Guadalupe Melgoza, 69, was walking near the intersection of Yew Drive and State Road 436 — less than a mile from her Azalea Park home — when she was struck by a vehicle that drove onto the sidewalk.

Witnesses told police that driver Cheri Granger was driving erratically and speeding on S.R. 436, also known as Semoran Boulevard in Orlando, before the crash.

• Related

• 

  Orange County Jail booking mugs – updated daily

• 

  Interactive map: Orange County murders

• 

  Get alerts: Sign up for breaking news text alerts and e-newsletters

• Topics
• 
  
  Motorvehicle Accidents
  
• 
  
  Transportation Accidents
  
• 
  
  Orange County (Florida)
  
• See more topics »

Granger, 43, of St. Cloud was traveling north on S.R. 436 in a Buick behind a vehicle in the far right lane that was entering the on-ramp to westbound State Road 408 just before 11 a.m., said Sgt. Diego Toruno, a police spokesman.

She struck the rear of the Hyundai vehicle driven by Ryan A. Hufford, 41, of Longwood.

The Buick left the roadway and went on the sidewalk, where Melgoza was walking, traffic-homicide detectives said.

She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Charges are possible but officers have not completed the investigation, Toruno said.

According to state driving records, Granger has received at least 14 traffic citations since 2008 for offenses including driving without a license, speeding, failure to stay in the proper lane and operating a motor vehicle in an unsafe manner.

She has been stopped numerous times in both Orange and Osceola counties.

In 2001, an Osceola County judge ordered Granger to complete a program for offenders who drive without a license and placed her county probation for one year.

Granger’s most recent violations occurred in February and May when she was pulled over for failing to stay in a travel lane and speeding, respectively, Orange County court records show.

arehernandez@tribune.com or 407-420-5471

Article source: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/breakingnews/os-driver-kills-walker-crash-20130521,0,1035929.story

For motorists in Seminole County, the cluster of unfinished buildings near the Seminole Towne Center mall is a high-profile reminder of how the real-estate crash is still taking a toll on the landscape.

A never-completed strip shopping center faces Rinehart Road just south of County Road 46A. And behind it, the walls of four two-story concrete buildings greet Interstate 4 commuters like Lake Mary’s version of Stonehenge.

The concrete shells took shape about four years ago as part of a plan for medical offices. The vision was that one day the center would be teeming with doctors, nurses and patients.

But today, the retail-and-office complex known as Rinehart Place at Lake Mary sits vacant, the work of a developer who ran out of money. A fence surrounds the 22 acres, which is marred by weeds and debris.

The city of Lake Mary recently placed a lien of nearly $30,000 on the property for a variety of code violations, including the accumulation of construction trash and overgrown grass.

“How it is right now is not what we anticipated,” Lake Mary Mayor David Mealor said. “And we would like to have somebody take over that property and finish the construction. And we are willing to work with them.”

That could happen soon.

Jeffrey Henwood, a senior adviser with the commercial real-estate firm Sperry Van Ness, said his company has received a serious offer on the property from an investor he would not identify.

“It’s an excellent piece of property with easy access to I-4,” he said.

The retail space in Rinehart Place totals 38,000 square feet, and the office buildings would total 130,000 square feet if completed. The complex has a listing price of $7.9 million.

Lake Mary initially approved turning the empty land into an office complex and retail center in the late 1990s. In 2006, Rinehart Investments bought the tract for about $8 million. Months later, it was sold to Flovest LLC for $14 million at the peak of the real estate market.

Construction started in 2008. An ABC liquor store was built on the north end and a CVS pharmacy rose on the south end. But the rest of the property remained unfinished.

Flovest filed for bankruptcy, and the property was acquired by the BBT bank in 2012 through foreclosure.

Anyone who bought the property today would have to have it inspected and approved by city officials before construction could resume. State law requires construction jobs to show some progress at least every six months, and the property has sat idle for years. An inspection could determine that the vacant buildings would have to be demolished.

“We all in Lake Mary would really like to see this move forward,” said Shirley Gray, a nearby resident and former city commissioner. “I don’t think there is a resident in Lake Mary that would not like to see Rinehart Place be finally completed.”

mcomas@tribune.com

Article source: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/seminole/os-unfinished-buildings-lake-mary-20130515,0,4897936.story

Three people were injured — two seriously — following a head-on collision on a Seminole County road early Monday, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

Troopers said James Johnstone, 23, of Orlando was headed east on County Road 419 about 7:30 a.m. when he left the roadway, struck a sign and over-corrected into the westbound lanes.

Johnstone’s pickup, hauling pool-cleaning supplies, smashed into the front of a Nissan minivan driven by Aurelio Cruz, 63 of Merritt Island near Lake Mills Road. Both men were injured.

• Topics
• 
  
  Florida Highway Patrol
  
• 
  
  Seminole County
  
• Maps

• West County Road 419 Lake Mills Road, FL 32766, USA

Johnstone was air-lifted to Orlando Regional Medical Center in critical condition, said FHP spokeswoman Sgt. Kim Montes.

Cruz suffered non-life threatening but serious injuries and was transported by ambulance to the hospital.

Cruz’s passenger, Belinda Paris, 53, of Merritt Island was also taken to ORMC with minor injuries.

The crash caused the chemical to spill and authorities closed the road while clean-up crews worked.

Charges are pending but the crash remains under investigation.

arehernandez@tribune.com or 407-420-5471

Article source: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/breakingnews/os-crash-injures-three-seminole-20130520,0,4228772.story