By Associated Press - Tuesday, May 6, 2014

OCALA, Fla. (AP) - The Florida Highway Patrol has released its preliminary findings of an investigation into a crash that killed three people, including a state trooper, on Interstate 75 in Ocala.

Investigators say the driver of a sports utility vehicle applied brakes “abruptly” to avoid hitting traffic already stopped for another crash on Saturday afternoon. The SUV was then sideswiped by a pickup truck, which went into the median where 30-year-old trooper Chelsea Richard, 57-year-old John Duggan and 55-year-old George Phillips were standing.

Richard and Duggan died at the scene. Phillips died hours later.

The Ocala Star-Banner (https://bit.ly/1mxKauF ) reports the investigation could take several months to complete.

The funeral for the trooper is scheduled for 2 p.m. Thursday in Ocala. She had been with the highway patrol for nine years.

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Information from: Ocala (Fla.) Star-Banner, https://www.starbanner.com/

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