A Bronson man was killed in a crash Monday when his tractor-trailer truck carrying cement powder collided with a FedEx delivery van.
The collision took place in Archer at around 3:20 p.m., said Lt. Patrick Riordan, Florida Highway Patrol spokesperson. Kenneth Holder, 58, was heading south of U.S. Highway 27 in the truck when he collided with Andre Whitaker, 24, of Ocala who was driving southbound on County Road 241 in a FedEx van.
Holder was pronounced dead at the scene. While the FedEx van sustained significant damage to the front bumper, Riordan said Whitaker “basically walked away from the crash.”
Riordan said Whitaker attempted to cross U.S. 27 without coming to a full stop in front of Holder. When Holder veered to the right to avoid Whitaker, the left side of his truck collided with the right front of the FedEx van.
Holder lost control of the wheel when he tried to avoid the van, Riordan said, and his truck drove off into the west shoulder of the road.
“And that's where the vehicle, the trailer, detached from the truck and it rolled onto its left side,” Riordan said.
The truck’s roof caved in during the accident, and Riordan said the vehicle had to be cut open by Alachua County Fire Rescue to free Holder before he was declared dead.
Holder’s injuries have yet to be determined by a medical examiner, Riordan said.
Riordan was unable to confirm what company Holder’s truck was owned by or where the cement powder was headed.
Following the accident, the site was closed until 10 p.m. Monday. Riordan said the FHP will investigate the crash over the next 60 to 90 days.
Contact Samia Lagmis at slagmis@alligator.org.
