A McAlpin woman lost her life March 12 five miles east of Branford at CR 49 and 256th Street when a driver failed to stop at a stop sign and rammed a car carrying five people.

Barbara Evans, 67, of McAlpin, died in that crash at about 2:12 a.m. Saturday, March 12, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. Four other women in the 1999 SUV were injured when their vehicle was struck broadside on the driver’s side by a 1991 GMC pickup truck that failed to stop for a stop sign, FHP said.

The driver of the vehicle that failed to stop fled the scene on foot, FHP said. On March 15 the FHP had the Florida Department of Law Enforcement Crime Lab in Branford going over the pickup with a fine tooth comb searching for forensic and micro analysis evidence as to who was actually driving that vehicle, according to FHP Lt. Mike Burroughs.

Dorothy Courtemanche, 42, of McAlpin, driver of the SUV, was injured in the crash. Burroughs said FHP feels the accident was alcohol-related and therefore took a blood sample from Courtemanche as a routine matter.

Also injured were three others who were passengers in Courtemanche’s SUV; Angel Rodriquez, 23, and Michelle Morris, 36, all of McAlpin and Valerie Smith, 41, of O’Brien.

According to a press release filed by FHP Trooper J.T. Clark, The pickup truck was eastbound on 256th Street while the SUV was northbound on CR 49 when the crash happened.

Rodriguez, one of the passengers in Courtemanche’s SUV, was arrested later after being treated at Shands at Live Oak. Rodriguez was arrested on warrants from DeSoto County for burglary and grand theft and for warrants from Alachua County for possession of less than 20 grams cannabis and possession of drug paraphernalia.