An 18-year-old was getting a haircut in the median of a busy Florida road when a crash sent a pickup truck directly toward him.
The teenager and two other young adults had set up on the median of Southwest College Road in Ocala on Sunday night to film the haircut for social media. Ocala Police said officers were called to the 2500 block near Ocala West Plaza around 8:10 p.m.
The group had apparently already rejected an even more dangerous filming location. One of the young men later told a witness that they had discussed performing the stunt in the roadway but decided it was unsafe and moved to the median instead, FOX 35 reported.
That move still left them alongside traffic. Minutes later, two vehicles collided beside them, and the 18-year-old was struck in the aftermath.
Into The Median
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A Chevrolet Silverado 3500 traveling west on College Road collided with a Lexus SUV entering the intersection from Ocala West Plaza, according to Ocala Police.
“Due to the crash, the Silverado struck an 18-year-old pedestrian who was standing on the median,” police said.
The teenager was taken to a local hospital in serious condition, while no other injuries were reported. Police found no signs of impairment involving either driver and continued investigating what caused the collision.
FOX 35 reported that investigators were reviewing video to determine whether either driver ran a red light and were seeking additional footage from anyone who witnessed the crash.
Just Before
FOX 35 reported that the group consisted of three young men, ages 18, 19 and 20, who had set up a chair in the center median to record one friend cutting another’s hair.
Witness Damian Fox told the station he had seen the group performing the same stunt on a nearby sidewalk only minutes before the collision.
Afterward, Fox spoke with the videographer, who appeared shaken and told him the group had initially considered recording in the roadway before deciding the median would be safer.
The young men themselves described hearing tires screeching immediately before the crash. One said he had been facing away from the vehicles while cutting his friend’s hair and turned around as the collision reached them.
Still Unclear
The unusual setup resembles other roadside haircut videos posted on social media, including videos recorded in or near traffic lanes. FOX 35 contacted TikTok about the videos but had not received a response when its report aired.
Ocala Police continued investigating the collision Monday, with video potentially determining what happened at the intersection before the Silverado struck the 18-year-old.