Mother, infant die in nearly head-on Sumter County crash, FHP says

Cassandra French, 24, veered off road, overcorrected before crash

SUMTER COUNTY, Fla. – A woman and her 2-month-old son were killed in a crash in Sumter County on Sunday night, the Florida Highway Patrol said.

Troopers reported that Cassandra French, 24, was driving a Ford Expedition south on U.S. 301 as Melissa Tobey, 34, was driving a BMW north.

FHP officials said French, for an unknown reason, traveled off the roadway and onto the right shoulder, then overcorrected, traveled back across the road and collided, nearly head-on, with Tobey.

Troopers said French died of her injuries at the scene, and her 2-month-old son died at a hospital the next day. 

The FHP said Tobey, who suffered serious injuries, was taken to St. Joseph's Hospital for treatment.


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Dawn Jorgenson, Graham Media Group Branded Content Managing Editor, began working with the group in April 2013. She graduated from Texas State University with a degree in electronic media.

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