The Eyrie

COLLIER COUNTY, FL — A 74-year-old woman died after a three-vehicle crash on Immokalee Road Friday morning, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. Troopers said the collision happened just before 7 a.m. near Esplanade Boulevard in Collier County.

Officials said the woman was a passenger in a Toyota Rav4 and suffered serious injuries in the crash. She was taken to a hospital, where she was later pronounced dead.

The highway patrol said the crash involved a Toyota CH-R, a Toyota Rav4 and a Chevrolet Express cargo van. Investigators described a chain reaction that began when one driver changed lanes on the busy roadway.

Florida Highway Patrol says lane change triggered the collision

According to troopers, the Toyota CH-R was traveling west on Immokalee Road just west of Esplanade Boulevard. The Rav4 was heading east in the inside lane, while the cargo van was also traveling east in the left turn lane.

FHP said the CH-R moved into the inside lane and failed to yield to the oncoming Rav4. The left side of the CH-R then struck the Rav4, setting off the second impact in the crash.

The patrol has not said whether charges are expected. It also has not identified the drivers involved in the collision.

How the Rav4 was redirected into the cargo van

After the first impact, investigators said the Rav4 was pushed across the concrete median and into the eastbound left turn lane of Immokalee Road. It then collided with the front left side of the Chevrolet Express cargo van.

That sequence left the passenger in the Rav4 with the most serious injuries. FHP said the woman later died at the hospital after the crash Friday morning.

No other injuries were described in the information released by the highway patrol.

Immokalee Road remains a major east west corridor in Collier County

The crash happened on a stretch of Immokalee Road that serves as a major connector in Collier County. The roadway near Esplanade Boulevard carries drivers through a busy commercial and residential area.

Because the wreck occurred before 7 a.m., it came during a time when many commuters would have been on the road. FHP did not say whether traffic was blocked for an extended period, but the location suggests the crash may have affected the morning flow through the area.

Officials have not released additional details about weather, road conditions or whether speed played any role.

What investigators have said so far about the victim

Troopers identified the victim only as a 74-year-old woman who was riding in the Rav4. They did not release her name in the information provided Friday.

The release focused on the sequence of the crash and the fatal injury to the passenger. It did not include details about the other people in the vehicles beyond their roles in the collision.

As of Friday, the Florida Highway Patrol had not publicly announced any further findings from the investigation.

Safety questions raised by another deadly roadway crash in Southwest Florida

The fatal wreck adds to the series of serious crashes that can unfold quickly on Southwest Florida roads, especially on multi-lane corridors where vehicles are moving in opposite directions and turning across medians.

FHP’s account shows how a single failed yield can escalate into a multiple-impact collision. In this case, one lane change led to a crash that redirected a vehicle into another lane and left one passenger dead.

Investigators continue to piece together the circumstances surrounding the crash at Immokalee Road and Esplanade Boulevard.