Five people were killed, and seven others were seriously hurt, after their van overturned and crashed into a ditch along Florida’s Turnpike in Osceola County on Sunday evening.
The fatal crash occurred on Florida’s Turnpike Northbound, near mile marker 211, at around 7:35 p.m. on Sunday, April 27, according to a report from the Florida Highway Patrol.
FHP stated that the 2004 Ford E-350 van was traveling northbound on the Turnpike when the 66-year-old male driver lost control of the van due to a “possible tire malfunction.”
The van proceeded to overturn several times before leaving the roadway and striking a guardrail. After that impact, the fan overturned onto a nearby ditch, where it came to a final rest.
Seven of the van’s occupants, which included the driver and six passengers ranging in age from 46 to 75, were air lifted to local hospitals in either serious or critical condition.
The report mentioned that five of the passengers sustained fatal injuries and were pronounced deceased at the scene of the accident. Those passengers included a 29-year-old man, 54-year-old man, 73-year-old woman, and two female passengers who have not yet been identified by the Medical Examiner’s Office.
The crash remains under investigation, according to FHP.