Power Scooter Driver Struck By SUV

An area man was transported Friday by Highlands County Emergency Medical Services to Florida Hospital Heartland after he was struck by an SUV while riding his power scooter on southbound U.S. 27 in front of Lakeshore Mall.

Trooper Dick Miller said Friday that the man, Ernest Blogett, 85, of Sebring, was traveling northbound in the southbound lane.

The crash remained under investigation Friday and no charges had been filed by press time.

Blodgett was conscious while being lifted into the ambulance.

Disiree Alabe, 36, of Sebring, stood at the crash scene next to her 2001 Nissan Pathfinder in front of the Alan Jay Cadillac dealership, waiting for troopers to take her information.

A friend said Alabe said she met up with some friends at the mall and they were all going for lunch. Alabe said she pulled out from the southernmost mall exit after stopping at the stop sign at U.S. 27 South.

"I just didn't see him," she said. "His chair is lower than my eyesight (indicating with her hands that the SUV is quite high in comparison to the Mobility Express scooter)."

Alabe said she looked left (toward the north) waiting for oncoming traffic and inched forward waiting for an opening to get onto U.S. 27. She inched forward again.

She said she looked left then right and started to pull out when she hit the three-wheeler scooter.

She was not injured and the SUV sustained some damage to its bumper. The chair was also damaged in the crash.