A Leesburg woman is facing multiple felony charges more than a year after authorities say she crossed a double yellow line while driving drunk, causing a head-on collision that claimed the life of a Belleview man and seriously injured two others.
Lauren Carlton, 29, was arrested Friday, October 23, by the Florida Highway Patrol following a lengthy investigation into the October 11, 2025, crash.
According to FHP, the collision occurred at approximately 2:40 a.m. along Southeast Highway 42 near Southeast 155th Avenue in Marion County.
Investigators determined that Carlton was traveling along the highway when her vehicle crossed the solid double yellow centerline and entered the path of oncoming traffic.
Her vehicle then collided head-on with another vehicle, killing its 40-year-old driver, a Belleview resident, and leaving two additional occupants with serious injuries.
Troopers who made contact with Carlton at the hospital following the crash reported observing signs of impairment.
A subsequent blood analysis revealed alcohol concentrations of 0.205 and 0.204, both more than two and a half times Florida’s legal limit of 0.08.
For perspective, Florida law considers a driver legally impaired at 0.08. Carlton’s reported blood alcohol levels were more than 0.12 points above that threshold.
Following the investigation, FHP arrested Carlton on one count of DUI manslaughter, two counts of DUI causing serious bodily injury and one count of DUI with an unlawful blood alcohol level.
The arrest comes more than 12 months after the fatal collision, with FHP attributing the charges to an extensive investigation into the circumstances surrounding the crash.
What began as an early-morning drive along a rural Marion County highway ended with one man dead, two others seriously injured and a Leesburg woman now facing serious criminal charges.
