Lake Placid Woman Killed In Traffic Accident

By GARY PINNELL | Highlands Today
Published: October 11, 2008

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LAKE PLACID --

A woman was killed Friday afternoon when her car pulled onto U.S. 27, in the path of another automobile.

Crash investigator L.M. Smith Jr. said Caroline T. Yasuda, 65, of Lake Placid, was traveling east on SW Vista Drive at 4:53 p.m. Friday.

James C. Phelps, 72, Lake Placid, was southbound on the inside lane of U.S. 27 when Yasuda's 1996 Saturn pulled into the path of Phelps' 2005 Kia SUV.

The Saturn "rotated and came to final rest facing a northern direction in the northbound right turn lane of U.S. 27," the state trooper's report stated. Two lanes of the highway were shut down for two hours.

Yasuda died at the scene, the Florida Highway Patrol report said. Both Phelps and a passenger in Yasuda's Saturn, Maria B. Ochoa, 39, Lake Placid, reported minor injuries.

All the occupants were wearing seat belts, and alcohol was not a factor in the crash, according to Smith's report.

Gary Pinnell can be reached at gpinnell@highlandstoday.com or 863 386-5828.