Young Lehigh Acres, Florida man dies in high-speed crash on Interstate 75 in Lee County
The Florida Highway Patrol homicide unit continues to investigate a deadly crash involving three young adults on Interstate 75 in Lee County during the afternoon of April 18.
A 24-year-old Lehigh Acres man was killed in the wreck, in which he was ejected from his car and hit by another. Two North Fort Myers men – the driver, 21, and passenger, 23, of the other car involved –suffered minor injuries.
Both cars were in the left lane of 1-75 near mile marker 131 at Daniels Parkay. They were headed north at a “high rate of speed” around 1:46 p.m., according to FHP.
The first car, a 2023 Hyundai Sonata driven by the 21-year-old North Fort Myers man, was ahead of a 2012 Nissan Maxima, driven by the Lehigh man who ultimately died.
Both drivers changed lanes to the center, where there was slower traffic, and the first car went to the outside lane to pass, and the second car went to the left to pass.
Once they were past the slower traffic, both attempted to move to the center lane and they collided.
The front left of the Hyundai, carrying the North Fort Myers men, hit the front right of the Nissan driven by the Lehigh man, and both cars traveled across the outside lane to the shoulder. The car driven by the Lehigh Acres man hit the concrete barrier while continuing north. Both drivers veered to the left, crossing the outside lane; the Lehigh man’s car overturned, he was ejected and hit by the car driven by the 21-year-old North Fort Myers man and occupied by the 23-year-old.
The first car – the Hyundai with the survivors – came to a stop facing northwest in the center lane; the other was upright in the inside lane and shoulder.
Lee County EMS delared the Lehigh Acres man dead at the scene.
Southwest Florida’s deadly roads
Thirty-seven people have died in Lee County wrecks so far in 2025, according to FHP. In Collier, 9 have died.
In 2024, 196 died in the two counties combined.
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Lehigh Acres Florida man dies in I-75 crash; North Fort Myers men live
