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Man dies in wrong-way crash in rural Osceola County, troopers say

OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. — A man is dead after a wrong-way crash on State Road 60 in rural southwest Osceola County early Saturday, the Florida Highway Patrol said.

Michael Vanpelt, 29 of Zephyrhills, was driving a 2016 Dodge westbound in the eastbound lanes of State Road 60 near Peavine Road around 3:45 a.m. when he crashed head-on into a semitruck traveling the other way, troopers said.

Vanpelt died at the scene while his passenger, 43-year-old Ronald Higgins of Dade City, was taken to Osceola Regional Medical Center in critical condition, according to a crash report.

The driver of the semitruck sustained minor injuries and wasn’t taken to the hospital, troopers said.

Troopers said the crash remains under investigation.