Florida man run over by vehicle while sunbathing in Ormond Beach

Man recovering after being run over by vehicle on beach

Colson Janey, a 33-year-old beachgoer from Ocala, remains in the intensive care unit after being run over by a vehicle Saturday morning in Ormond Beach.

ORLANDO, Fla. - A man is still in the ICU after being hit by a car on the beach on Saturday morning.

Struck while sunbathing

What we know:

Colson Janey, a 33-year-old beachgoer from Ocala, remains in the intensive care unit after being run over by a vehicle Saturday morning in Ormond Beach. According to the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office, a 61-year-old woman accidentally drove her Jeep outside the designated travel lanes while attempting to park, striking Janey as he sunbathed near the Cardinal Drive beach ramp.

The incident occurred around 10:45 a.m. while Janey was lying face down in the sand. He sustained serious injuries, including a broken femur, fractures in his right forearm, third-degree burns, and a cracked pelvis. Despite the trauma, his head was unharmed.

What we don't know:

While the driver was cited for careless driving and authorities say she "did not seem impaired," questions remain about whether proper safety procedures were followed at the scene. Janey said he wished a field sobriety test had been administered as a precaution. The sheriff’s office has confirmed the investigation is still ongoing.

The backstory:

Janey had gone to the beach early Saturday to watch the sunrise and relax, celebrating the recent purchase of a Jeep. He was lying parallel to other sunbathers and dozing when he was struck.

This is not the first such incident in Volusia County. Several people have been seriously injured in vehicle-related accidents on the beach over the past year, including elderly beachgoers and teenagers. In one case, a Volusia County Beach Patrol sergeant hit two teens lying on Daytona Beach during Memorial Day weekend.

Colson Janey, a 33-year-old beachgoer from Ocala, remains in the intensive care unit after being run over by a vehicle Saturday morning in Ormond Beach.

Beach access points in Volusia County have minimal signage or barriers separating parking areas from pedestrian zones. Janey noted the absence of cones, traffic signs or clear boundaries on the beach, an issue also acknowledged by the driver’s family.

As more visitors return to Florida beaches with the arrival of spring and summer, local leaders may face renewed pressure to reassess safety guidelines for beach driving and parking.

What they're saying:

"I just got a Jeep a couple weeks ago. And this was something I wanted to do," Janey said, explaining why he visited the beach that morning.

"All of a sudden a tire was going over my head," he recalled. "I’m just laying face first, just crying and screaming."

Reflecting on the moments after the accident, Janey added, "I know it sounds crazy, but throughout this whole time, I was just thanking God that I still had feeling in my extremities."

Janey also expressed concern about beach safety: "There’s no nothing that like, tells you, ‘Okay this is as far as cars can go, towards the beach.’ There’s nothing."

The driver did not speak publicly, but her husband told FOX 35 the woman is "devastated" and agrees with Janey that better beach demarcation is needed.

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