Lehigh man killed in crash on Sunday
The Lee County Sheriff’s Office today said that on Sunday, May 3, at 2:28 p.m., they received several calls about a traffic crash that had occurred on Lee Boulevard, just west of the intersection of Harry Avenue North in Lehigh Acres.
When deputies arrive, they found four persons had been ejected from a Ford Explorer after it had rolled over after leaving the roadway. A fifth individual was still in the vehicle. Emergency responders immediately began to aid the injured, however, the driver of the SUV was, subsequently, pronounced dead at the scene, investigators said.
He has been identified as 67-year-old Raymond Jennings of 3317 15th Street West, Lehigh. One of the passengers was critically injured and airlifted to the Trauma Center at Lee Memorial Hospital. The other three were transported by ambulance. The passengers were juveniles, ages 7, 9, 15 and 15. Two have been treated and released while two remain hospitalized, one in critical condition. All passengers are from Lehigh, officials said.
Preliminary findings indicate the driver lost control of the vehicle after moving from the center, westbound, lane he was traveling, possibly to avoid another vehicle entering his lane, Traffic investigators said., The vehicle went over a curb and began to roll when encountering an incline at the west end of a residential yard. The vehicle flipped several times before coming to rest in a vacant lot. No one was wearing a seat-belt, invesigators said.
Anyone who may have witnessed the crash and not spoken with investigators is asked to contact the Lee County Sheriff’s Office at (239) 477-1000. The investigation continues. This is the 21st fatality in Lee County in 2009.