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Race between Mustang and Corvette ends with driver ejected from car, Florida cops say

This is a view of Corvette that was involved in the crash, according to The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.
This is a view of Corvette that was involved in the crash, according to The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles photo.

UPDATE: A 23-year-old Ocala man has been arrested as the driver of the Mustang, according to a Nov. 28 news release. He is charged with reckless driving which resulted in serious bodily injury to another, racing on highways and failure to remain on scene at a crash which resulted in the serious bodily injury to another, the Florida Highway Patrol reports.

The original story is below.

A Ford Mustang aficionado remains on the run in Florida after being involved in a street race that sent a competitor flying out of his Corvette, according to Florida investigators.

The crash happened around 8:45 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 18, south of Ocala, and involved a third car driven by a 78-year-old woman, the Florida Highway Patrol reports. She and her 82-year-old passenger were not injured, officials said in an incident report.

Investigators say the Mustang and a 2016 Chevrolet Corvette were seen traveling “at a high rate of speed” on State Road 200 and “making multiple lane changes in a reckless manner.”

The suspected race happened on State Road 200 southwest of Ocala, the Florida Highway Patrol says.
The suspected race happened on State Road 200 southwest of Ocala, the Florida Highway Patrol says. Street View image from Aug. 2023. © 2023 Google

Their competition came to a halt when the Corvette collided with a 2016 Toyota Prius on State Road 200, sending the Prius into the median, officials said.

“After the initial collision (the Corvette) traveled in a northwesterly direction off the roadway where it struck a utility pole and then a tree,” officials said.

The driver of the Mustang then “concealed his vehicle behind a local business prior to briefly checking the status of (the Corvette) driver ... who had been ejected.”

The Mustang driver then fled the scene, officials said.

Investigators say the Corvette driver is a 38-year-old man and his injuries are serious.

Photos of the suspected Mustang driver showed him to be “a heavy-set white male with arm tattoos” and a beard, officials said. The Mustang was a newer model, “potentially a 2020-2023 model, silver in color with tinted windows,” officials said.

Anyone with information about the driver or vehicle is asked to contact the FHP communications center at 1-800-387-1290.

Ocala is about 80 miles northwest of Orlando.

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This story was originally published November 20, 2023 at 10:43 AM with the headline "Race between Mustang and Corvette ends with driver ejected from car, Florida cops say."

MP
Mark Price
The Charlotte Observer
Mark Price is a state reporter for The Charlotte Observer and McClatchy News outlets in North Carolina. He joined the network of newspapers in 1991 at The Charlotte Observer, covering beats including schools, crime, immigration, LGBTQ issues, homelessness and nonprofits. He graduated from the University of Memphis with majors in journalism and art history, and a minor in geology. 
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