According to the Florida Highway Patrol, a single-vehicle rollover incident stopped the northbound lanes of Florida’s Turnpike in Osceola County on Sunday night, killing five people and injuring seven others.
Around 7:35 p.m., an accident occurred at mile marker 211 near Kenansville. The northbound lanes of the Turnpike were stopped for about 12 hours before reopening Monday morning.
According to the FHP, the driver of a 2004 E-350 lost control of the vehicle due to a possible tyre issue, causing the van to overturn many times and collide with a guardrail before landing in a ditch.
The FHP reported that five van passengers died at the site, including a 29-year-old Fort Pierce male, a 54-year-old Fort Pierce man, and a 73-year-old Fort Pierce lady.
The other two ladies killed in the crash have yet to be identified, according to an FHP crash report.
The driver, a 66-year-old Fort Pierce male, was transported to Osceola Regional Medical Centre with critical injuries, according to authorities.
The FHP stated that all six surviving passengers, aged 46 to 75, sustained severe or serious injuries.
According to the FHP crash report, four of them were transported to Osceola Regional Medical Centre, while the other two were flown to Holmes Regional Medical Centre.
The Turnpike was closed, therefore traffic was rerouted to State Road 60 at exit 193.
The crash is still under investigation.
