FLAGLER COUNTY, Florida — A quiet community was shaken Monday on State Road 100 when a 44‑year‑old Daytona North woman lost her life in a violent morning crash that also shut down part of the busy rural highway.
Melani Nicole Stodola of Daytona North was driving her blue 2009 Honda sedan westbound near the stretch between Bimini Lane and Bertha Road when she slammed into the back of a slow‑moving farm implement known locally as a “sod‑cutter,” according to 911 dispatch logs and law enforcement accounts.
The call came in just after 11:00 a.m., and within minutes Flagler County Sheriff’s deputies and Flagler County Fire Rescue crews were at the scene. Emergency responders found Stodola trapped in her badly crushed vehicle with no pulse. Paramedics and deputies worked urgently to save her, but she was pronounced dead at about 11:15 a.m. at the wreck site.
Traffic along the stretch of State Road 100 was snarled for hours. Authorities closed the highway in both directions while crews tended to the injured, collected evidence, and diverted cars around the scene. Westbound traffic was rerouted at County Road 305, and eastbound drivers were sent around via Water Oak Road. The highway finally reopened around mid‑afternoon.
The farming vehicle’s driver, who was not seriously hurt, voluntarily gave a blood sample to investigators as part of the ongoing probe. Law enforcement officials have not yet released a cause for the collision and have not indicated any charges would be filed. Investigators are examining whether factors like distraction, speed, or road conditions played a role.
This crash marks the second fatal road incident in Flagler County so far this year, following a separate motorcycle fatality earlier in January, and is the first deadly crash on this western stretch of State Road 100 since a head‑on collision in April 2020 claimed four lives.
Friends and neighbors remember Stodola as someone deeply rooted in the local community. She lived just minutes from where the crash happened on Walnut Avenue in Daytona North and was known for her warm presence among friends and family. In the wake of her death, community members are calling for greater awareness of slow‑moving farm equipment on roadways that carry both local traffic and heavy agricultural vehicles.
Law enforcement leaders remind drivers to stay alert on rural roads like State Road 100, especially where farm machinery is common. They urge motorists to slow down, watch for sudden stops, and give extra room to equipment that may be moving much slower than everyday traffic.
In the coming days, the sheriff’s office will release more information as it continues to piece together the moments leading up to the crash and hopes to offer clarity for those still searching for answers.
