Troopers have arrested a driver who they said left the scene of a crash that killed a mother and her 12-year-old son on I-75 in Marion County early Sunday morning.
FHP arrested 25-year-old Lanessa Riobe in connection to the double fatal crash that happened on I-75 in Marion County around 3:00 a.m.
Troopers, Marion County deputies and emergency crews responded to the crash in the northbound lanes at mile marker 342 in Ocala.
Riobe was traveling northbound in her Toyota Corolla when she rear-ended a Honda Civic driven by 34-year-old Eliezer Maldonado, according to FHP. Maldonado's wife and two children, aged 10 and 12, were also in the vehicle at the time.
Troopers said the impact caused Maldonado to lose control and the vehicle subsequently ended up disabled in the center lane of the highway. Riobe allegedly left the scene and continued driving.
According to investigators, an oncoming semi truck did not see the disabled Honda Civic in the road and crashed into it, causing both vehicles to catch fire.
Maldonado and his 10-year-old daughter, Ana, had gotten out of the car just prior to the crash. Maldonado's wife, Deborah, and his 12-year-old son, Eliezer Jr., were still in the vehicle and died in the crash, troopers said.
The semi truck driver was not injured.
Authorities located Riobe about 20 miles away from the crash scene. She was arrested and charged with two counts of leaving the scene of a crash involving death and driving while license suspended or revoked, FHP said.
Troopers reopened northbound I-75 just before 9:00 a.m. Sunday. A nearly 10-mile stretch of the highway was closed for almost five hours.
