New Smyrna Man Dies In Wreck After Hitting Another Car & Crashing Into Tree

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New Smyrna Beach, FL - A 57-year-old New Smyrna Beach man was killed in a car crash on Monday evening after he struck another vehicle, veered off the roadway, and hit a tree. The crash occurred on Monday at 5:10 PM at the intersection of Williams Rd. and Pioneer Trail in New Smyrna Beach. 57-year-old Richard Cotelesse was driving a 2016 Chevy Malibu and traveling northbound on Williams Rd. Witnesses say Cotelesse was driving erratically, according to Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) crash reports. A 41-year-old New Smyrna Beach woman, Sara Vanrider, was driving a 2015 Buick Enclave with a 12-year-old child in the passenger's seat. They were also traveling northbound on Williams Rd. Cotelesse did not slow down as he approached the Enclave. The front of the Malibu struck the back of the Enclave. That's when the Malibu veered off the road and crashed into a tree. A medical examiner determined that Cotelesse died as a result of the crash. Vanrider and her 12-year-old passenger suffered only minor injuries, according to FHP crash reports. Cotelesse was not wearing a seat-belt, but Vanrider and her passenger were wearing seat-belts. Copyright Southern Stone Communications 2018.