Crime · Marion County
Leesburg Woman Arrested in Fatal Oct. 2025 DUI Crash in Marion County
A 29-year-old Leesburg woman, Lauren Jean Carlton, was arrested this past week by the Florida Highway Patrol on DUI manslaughter charges stemming from a head-on collision on County Road 42 near Southeast 155th Avenue in Marion County. The crash occurred at approximately 2:40 a.m. on Oct. 11, 2025, killing a 40-year-old Belleview man and seriously injuring two others. Carlton's blood alcohol concentration measured over 2.5 times Florida's legal limit, according to investigators. She was booked into Marion County Jail on charges including DUI manslaughter, two counts of DUI causing serious bodily injury, and one count of DUI with an unlawful blood alcohol level.