Two more die on Marion County roads over holiday weekend

SILVER SPRINGS SHORES – A 75-year-old Silver Springs Shores woman who was involved in a two vehicle accident that killed a 27-year-old motorcyclist on Friday afternoon, also died on Friday, according to Florida Highway Patrol troopers.

Authorities said Virginia Scully died at 6:15 p.m. after she was flown to Shands at the University of Florida Hospital in Gainesville in critical condition after the 3:55 p.m. accident that occurred at Pine Road and Hemlock Circle Way in Silver Springs Shores.

The passenger in Scully’s 2005 Mercury Sable, 78-year-old Thomas Scully, her husband, was transported to Ocala Regional Medical Center where he was treated and released.

The Scullys, as well as the motorcyclist killed in the accident, Jonathan W. Monteiro, lived in Silver Springs Shores. According to Monteiro’s friends who visited the crash site not long after the accident and collected pieces of the motorcycle, he was coming to meet them at the Kangaroo gas station on Maricamp Road so they could celebrate July 4th together at Monteiro's home.

Monteiro died roughly a half a mile away from his home, where he lived with his grandmother, friends said.

Troopers said the 2005 Mercury was southbound on Pine Road and attempting to make a left turn unto Hemlock Circle Way. The motorcycle, a 2007 Suzuki GSX, was also traveling south on Pine Road.

Officials said Monteiro attempted to pass the vehicle on the double yellow line and apparently didn’t notice that the car's driver was attempting to turn. The motorcycle struck the Mercury on the driver's side.

After impact, the car veered off the roadway and into a nearby yard, where it hit some lawn furniture before stopping.

Monteiro was ejected from the motorcycle and also landed in the yard.

Monteiro was not wearing a helmet. A helmet was strapped on the motorcycle, officials said.

Scully and Monteiro's death were not the only traffic fatalities on Friday. Nearly a week after her husband of six months had died in a motorcycle crash on County Road 484 and State Road 200 in which she was a passenger, Vicki Renae Hitzing-Waldron succumbed to her injuries at Shands on Friday night, according to troopers.

Officials said the motorcycle was heading west on CR 484. As it rounded a curve, the bike left the roadway and went onto a grassy shoulder where it overturned numerous times, ejecting both Jeffery David Waldron, 43, and his 44-year-old wife.

Waldron died at the scene, while Hitzing-Waldron was airlifted to Shands in critical condition. Officials said the couple are from Jacksonville.

Since the start of the year, 54 people have died on Marion County roadways. Last year’s total for the entire year was 69, and the year before that was 70.

Austin Miller can be reached at austin.miller@starbanner.com or t 867-4118.