Local News
Fire chief: Car in Sunday fatality was 99 percent submerged
Marc Valero | Highlands Today
Published: December 24, 2012
AVON PARK - A Nissan Maxima that an Avon Park woman was driving before she crashed into Lake Lelia early Sunday morning was found 99 percent submerged, with only little bit of the roof visible, said Highlands Lakes Volunteer Fire Department Chief Earl Gray.Published: December 24, 2012
His department stood by at the scene in case there was a hazard in the water. A Polk County dive team also had responded.
Tonia C. Harmon, 48, died at the scene because she couldn't get out of the car, the Florida Highway Patrol reports.
Harmon reportedly missed a curve while driving east on West Martin Road, the FHP adds. The car traveled down a boat ramp and then 40 feet into the lake.
Gray noted it's an asphalt back road with no lighting.
Her passenger, Charles L. Staton, 52, of Avon Park, received minor injuries, the report shows.
He somehow managed to get to the Race Track convenience store on U.S. 27, Gray said. Emergency Medical Services transported Staton from there to Florida Hospital Heartland.
"I don't know if he walked or what," to get to the convenience store, Gray said. It's less than a half mile from the scène of the accident.
Also, Gray did not know, and the FHP report did not state how Staton escaped from the vehicle.
Gray said in his 15 years with the department he doesn't remember any other accidents at that location or similar accidents at other lakes, but time to time the Highlands Lakes VFD has responded to various accidents at lakes.
"We have had some water incident calls, either a boating accident or watercraft accident," he said. "We've had a vehicle that was loading a boat and the brakes failed and it rolled back into the lake, but nothing with a fatality."
Both Harmon and Staton were wearing seatbelts, the FHP report shows.
It's unknown if alcohol was a factor, pending a blood alcohol content test.
mvalero@highlandstoday.com (863) 386-5826