The accident happened shortly after Hurricane Debby made landfall in the Big Bend area close to Fanning Springs with wind speeds near 80 mph.
Hurricane Idalia hit the island of Cedar Key on August 30, 2023. The tourist town was just bouncing back as Hurricane Debby sent water through the streets again.
Images of the impact across the 352.
An officer was inside the cruiser when the tree came down but was not injured.
Troopers say the accident killed a 38-year-old woman and 12-year-old boy. A 14-year-old boy was taken to the hospital in serious condition.
Coastal communities like Crystal River and Cedar Key were devastated less than a year ago from Hurricane Idalia. On Sunday, people were bracing for the impact from Tropical Storm Debby.
As Tropical Storm Debby looks set to hit the Florida coast as a hurricane, Alachua and Levy Counties have elected to move back the start of early voting to Tuesday, August 6.
Citrus County Emergency Management issued a mandatory evacuation order for coastal areas due to anticipated danger of life-threatening storm surge inundation.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office is mourning the loss of 28-year-old Master Deputy Sheriff Bradley “Brad” Link who died while responding to a call in Eustis Friday.
The accident happened Saturday morning at a railroad crossing on County Road 720, near Highway 301.