An 18-year-old man suffered serious injuries after being struck by a pickup truck while sitting in the middle of a Florida highway median to receive a haircut as part of a social media video project, according to local law enforcement. The incident, which took place on State Road 200 in Ocala, has resulted in criminal charges and arrests for three individuals involved in the production.
According to an arrest affidavit detailed by the Ocala Police Department, the group set up a chair sourced from a nearby Raising Cane’s restaurant directly in the cement median of the busy roadway to film a trending TikTok video. Investigators identified the participant receiving the haircut as Ruben Rodriguez, 18. Andrew Costa-De Souza, 19, acted as the barber, while Christopher Coleman, 20, recorded the performance.
Police reported that a separate, nearby traffic crash prompted a Chevrolet 3500 pickup truck to veer toward the central median. While Coleman and Costa-De Souza managed to flee the path of the oncoming vehicle, Rodriguez was struck from behind because his back was turned to oncoming traffic.
Following the investigation, authorities arrested all three men on criminal charges, including unlawful assembly and the dangerous use of public rights of way. Law enforcement officials apprehended Costa-De Souza at Orlando International Airport upon his return from international travel, subsequently booking him into the Marion County Jail.
In the wake of the incident, the Ocala Police Department issued a formal warning regarding the hazards of filming social media stunts on active roadways, emphasizing that such activities endanger both participants and motorists and will result in immediate criminal prosecution.
