Woman Airlifted After Striking Concrete Pillar

    A woman was airlifted from a serious crash that occurred on Wednesday, January 25, at the intersection of SR 19 and Beach Street north of Umatilla. The woman, unidentified by the Florida Highway Patrol, was southbound on SR 19 when her vehicle, a white Chevrolet, left the roadway on the right shoulder, eventually striking a concrete pillar and a tree.
   The intersection serves as an entry to the Silver Beach Heights neighborhood, and the concrete pillar was part of the neighborhood’s entry monument.
   The crash occurred just before 8 p.m., with the woman trapped inside the vehicle for several minutes. Initially, law enforcement responders and bystanders attempted to extricate the victim from the car via the passenger side door, but those efforts were fruitless until responding fire rescue workers were able to cut the door away. The woman was transported to an area in front of the Olde Mill Stream RV Resort in Umatilla and airlifted from the scene. An update on her condition was not available this week.
   Witnesses at the scene said the woman was traveling southbound at a high rate of speed. There were no skid marks or other visible signs of attempted braking leading up to the impact site.