On Tuesday afternoon, September 1, 2026, 58-year-old Millard Hodkinson was driving his GMC SUV along State Road 50 near Ovenbird Road and Deltona Boulevard. He had two teenage passengers in the vehicle as he headed west along Cortez Boulevard. An oncoming Lexus SUV lost control, crossed the center line, and hit his car head-on.
First responders rushed to the scene shortly after the crash happened. Paramedics pulled Hodkinson from the wreckage and took him straight to an area hospital. Doctors tried to save his life, but the Weeki Wachee resident died from his injuries.
The two young passengers riding in Hodkinson’s GMC SUV were also injured in the crash. Emergency crews took both teenagers to nearby hospitals for medical treatment. Authorities have not released their names, and both remain under medical care.
Hodkinson lived in Weeki Wachee, Florida. Family members and friends are now trying to process his sudden loss. Neighboring residents spent Wednesday coming together to support his family as news of the crash spread through the town.
State troopers reported that the collision started when a 17-year-old driver in a Lexus SUV tried to change lanes while traveling east in the center lane of SR-50. The Lexus clipped an eastbound Dodge pickup truck driven by an 89-year-old local driver.
The initial contact sent the Lexus spinning out of control across the road. The SUV rotated straight into the westbound lanes, striking Hodkinson’s GMC head-on before flipping over onto its roof in the roadway.
The 17-year-old driver of the Lexus was taken to a local hospital with injuries. The 89-year-old driver of the Dodge pickup managed to pull over safely and reported no physical injuries at the scene.
Florida Highway Patrol officers are still investigating the wreck along Cortez Boulevard to determine if charges will be filed. Meanwhile, Hodkinson’s family and friends in Weeki Wachee are focusing on helping the two surviving teenagers recover.
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