Photos for Headline Surfer /
TOP and LEFT: Skydive DeLand CEO Bob Hallett, 74, was killed in a motor vehicle accident on Tuesday, May 13, 2025, in DeLand, Florida.
BELOW: Don Demsey, a Volusia County Councilman and a private attorney, who was stuck in a traffic jam that followed the fatality, described Bob Hallett as "a pioneer in the skydiving industry here in DeLand."
By HENRY FREDERICK / Headline Surfer
DELAND, Fla. -- The Florida Highway Patrol has confirmed that Bob Hallett, the CEO of Skydive DeLand, was killed in a motor vehicle accident on West New York Avenue.
Troopers said the crash happened just before 8 a.m. on Tuesday, where West New York Avenue connects with North Shell Road.
The crash involved a 2018 Toyota Tacoma and a 2023 RAM truck, according to the FHP.
Hallett, who was driving the Tacoma, was pronounced dead at the scene, and the driver and passenger in the RAM truck were transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
"I've known Bob my whole life," said Jessica McCorduck, a family friend, who told WESH Ch. 2 Orlando. "He was like an uncle or like a fun uncle."
McCorduck says that when her dad, who worked at the airport, passed away, Hallett stepped in.
"Helping, like, liquidate my dad's things and helping to know what to do," she added. "Because I was only 18, I had no freaking clue what to do with any of those eight planes and three hangars full of stuff."
Here is a synopsis of the fatal crash, according to the Florida Highway Patrol:
Troopers responded at 7:52 a.m. on State Road 44 (New York Avenue) at the intersection of Shell Road in DeLand.
Preliminary evidence shows the crash involved a 2018 Toyota Tacoma and a 2023 RAM 2500.
Bob Hallett, 74, the driver of the Tacoma, was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the Ram, a 46-year-old Edgewater resident, and his passenger, a 51-year-old woman also of Edgewater, were transported to Advent Health Deland with non-life-threatening injuries.
According to a news release from the FHP, Hallett, who was on Shell Road, upon reaching the intersection of State Road 44, failed to yield at the stop sign and cut into the path of the Dodge Ram. The Dodge slammed into Hallet's driver's side and killed him instantly, troopers said.
Volusia County Councilman Don Dempsey, also a flier, told the Daytona Beach News-Journal that Bob Hallett, considered a pioneer in the skydiving community, was also well-liked in the aviation community. “He was a pioneer in the skydiving industry here in DeLand, a destination for skydiving,” Dempsey said. “He is responsible for DeLand becoming the skydiving capital of the world.”
Volusia County Councilman Don Dempsey, also a flier, told the Daytona Beach News-Journal that Bob Hallett, considered a pioneer in the skydiving community, was also well-liked in the aviation community. “He was a pioneer in the skydiving industry here in DeLand, a destination for skydiving,” Dempsey said. “He is responsible for DeLand becoming the skydiving capital of the world.”
Dempsey said he was stuck in the traffic backup for a while, caused by the fatal accident.
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