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Tuesday, March 19, 2024
Generic Crime
Generic Crime

An 18-year-old fatally hit a 72-year-old man riding a motorized wheelchair along the road Tuesday afternoon.

Riley Sterner, of Gainesville, is accused of hitting two pedestrians with his car, killing one and injuring another, according to a Florida Highway Patrol report. Officials are still investigating if Sterner was driving under the influence, but nothing is confirmed, the report said.

Roberto Villa de Loera, 72, and Ulises Perez Ortiz, 34, were taken to Ocala Regional Medical Center after Sterner hit them at 5:50 p.m. west of Country Road 475A in Ocala, the report said. Loera was later pronounced dead.

Loera, of Ocala, was riding his wheelchair along the edge of the road when Sterner’s 2004 Scion xB hit him from the opposite direction, the report said. Loera flew out of his wheelchair and landed on the south side of the same road.

The car also hit Ortiz, who was riding a bike behind Loera, the report said.

Sterner pulled off the side of the road and was not injured. Ortiz of Ocala, suffered serious injuries from the collision,  the report said.

The crash is being investigated as a potential traffic homicide case, the report said.

Contact Alyssa Ramos at aramos@alligator.org and follow her on Twitter at @LysKRamos

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