Eustis man dies, infants and child unhurt, after crash near DeLand

A 34-year-old Eustis man was killed Tuesday morning when he rammed his pickup into the back of a truck carrying a utility pole near DeLand, troopers said.

Two infants and a 5-year-old boy, also from Eustis, inside the Dodge Ram 1500 were uninjured but taken to Halifax Health Medical Center as a precaution, according to a Florida Highway Patrol report. The driver of the utility truck hauling the pole, a 25-year-old DeLand man, also was uninjured and remained at the scene.

Troopers said the crash occurred at about 7:15 a.m. on State Road 44 near Paradise Drive, less than one mile east of the St. Johns River bridge.

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The Eustis man was traveling east on S.R. 44 behind the utility truck when he entered the westbound lane in an attempt to pass the larger vehicle, according to FHP's report.

Due to oncoming traffic, the Ram driver swerved back into the eastbound lane, but his windshield struck a pole attached to the utility truck, and then crashed into the back of it, troopers said.