Spring Hill man faces DUI manslaughter in fatal Hudson hit-and-run

A Spring Hill man faces DUI manslaughter after Florida Highway Patrol said his reckless driving on US-19 in Hudson set off a chain of collisions that killed one driver, seriously injured two others and ended with a hit-and-run arrest in Pasco County.

Troopers said the crash happened about 9:30 a.m. Monday, May 19, 2026, just north of Little Road. A Toyota Camry driven by the 68-year-old suspect first struck the rear of a Mazda four-door, then hit a Ford Bronco. The Bronco was pushed over the grass median and into the southbound lanes, where it collided head-on with a Hyundai SUV. The Hyundai driver died at the scene.

The two people in the Bronco were taken to HCA Bayonet Point Hospital with serious injuries. Investigators said the passenger was paralyzed from the waist down, while the driver reportedly broke both legs. A witness told investigators the Camry stopped and used its hazard lights for about two minutes before leaving the scene.

Hernando County Sheriff’s Office deputies later found the damaged Camry at a Walgreens on Cortez Boulevard, about 14 miles from the crash site, just before 10 a.m. Troopers said the car had heavy damage and side airbags deployed. The suspect was found sitting in the driver’s seat with his feet hanging out the window.

Florida Highway Patrol said the man smelled of alcohol and showed multiple signs of impairment. The arrest report said he appeared surprised when shown the damage to his vehicle, as if unaware a crash had occurred. Troopers said he gave a thumbs up after being read his Miranda rights, then refused to make a statement and asked for a lawyer.

He was taken to the hospital, where staff determined his blood alcohol level was 0.177, more than twice Florida’s legal limit of 0.08. Investigators also said he was combative, had to be medicated and restrained, and threatened to kill a trooper. He was arrested at 2:35 p.m. and booked into the Pasco County Jail.

Charges included DUI manslaughter, DUI with serious bodily injury, hit-and-run involving death, hit-and-run involving serious bodily injury, hit-and-run property damage, DUI property damage, obstructing without violence and threatening death against a law-enforcement officer.

The case lands on a corridor that carries heavy traffic between Hernando and Pasco counties, where US-19, Little Road and Cortez Boulevard are daily routes for commuters, shoppers and emergency responders. In a stretch already known for fast-moving traffic, the Hudson crash underscored how a single impaired driver can turn a morning commute into a fatal wreck.