Pedestrian Dies in Accident

Pedestrian, Deborah Louise Rector, was struck and killed in a vehicle accident on Tuesday, March 20, 2012 at 9 pm.

Craig Robert Schwartz, 21, of Gulf Breeze driving a 1997 Dodge Intrepid, and Gabriel Benjamin, 35, of Navarre driving a 2005 Lexus GX470  were traveling east in the eastbound inside lane of U. S. Hwy. 98, near the intersection of El Rito Dr. Schwartz was directly ahead of Benjamin. Deborah Louise Rector, 54 of Gulf Breeze,  was walking to the west along the westbound lanes of U.S. Hwy. 98, also in the area of El Rito Dr.  As Schwartz and Benjamin approached from the west, Deborah began to cross U. S. Hwy. 98 to the south.

As Deborah entered into the eastbound inside lane of travel she was struck by the right front portion of  the Dodge Intrepid driven by Schwartz. Deborah was projected forward, into the eastbound inside lane.  After collision, Schwartz steered his vehicle to the left. Benjamin was unable to see Deborah, who was projected into the
inside lane, and the Lexus struck Deborah.

The Intrepid came to rest in the eastbound left turn lane of U. S. Hwy. 98 and was facing in an easterly direction. The Lexus came to rest in the median of U.S. Hwy. 98, east of the area of collision, and facing in an easterly direction. Deborah Rector came to rest in the eastbound inside lane of U.S. Hwy. 98.

The accident is under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol.

This is the second pedestrian death with a mile of each other  on Hwy 98 within a week.