The Florida Highway Patrol is searching for the driver of a Ford Mustang it says was racing a 2016 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 that crashed and broke into several pieces on Saturday morning in Marion County.
According to police, the Corvette was cut off by the Mustang while the two cars were racing on the westbound side of State Route 200. The Corvette then allegedly collided with a 2016 Toyota Prius before exiting the roadway at high speed, hitting a utility pole and then a tree. The driver, an unidentified 38-year-old male, was thrown from the vehicle and ended up 154 feet away from the scene of the crash. Officers say he was taken to the HCA Florida Ocala Hospital for critical injuries, according to the Ocala StarBanner.
Gallery: Corvette Crashes While Street Racing
Photos released by the Marion County Fire Rescue team show what remained of the Corvette. We can see bits of the passenger cell scattered in pieces, with other components like the rear end, the supercharged V8 engine, transmission, and hood located nearby. The collision caused power lines to hang low enough for officials to close the road so repairs could be performed.
The driver of the Corvette has not been charged at this time. In a statement given to Motor1, Florida Highway Patrol says his condition is still serious as of Monday morning, and that the investigation is still ongoing.
Police are describing the driver of the Mustang, shown above, as a heavy-set white male between 5 feet 8 inches and 6 feet, with a nicely kept beard and tattoos on his right forearm. The Mustang is described as silver or white with tinted windows, possibly a 2020-2023 model. People with information about him or the incident are encouraged to contact Trooper Caroline Whittington at (850) 960-9653, or email CarolineWhittington@flhsmv.gov.
