Authorities said five people were killed in a near-head-on collision on a Florida highway Sunday night, including a 1-year-old girl.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, a 2015 Ford Explorer travelling north crossed the centre line of the highway and collided nearly head-on with a 2021 Nissan Frontier.
The SUV’s 20-year-old female driver and three of the vehicle’s six passengers, including 1-year-old and 12-year-old girls, were killed, according to the FHP. A woman, 56, was also killed. The other three passengers, aged 5, 22, and 31, were in critical condition.
According to the FHP, it’s unclear why the SUV crossed the highway. At 9:22 p.m., the incident occurred. on Hillsborough County’s SR-39, north of Plant City and about 25 miles northeast of Tampa According to the FHP, the driver and all passengers were wearing seatbelts or were in child restraints.
According to the press release, after the initial accident, a tractor-trailer collided with the pickup truck, which was in the southbound lane with no lights illuminating it.
The pickup truck driver, a 53-year-old man, died at the scene, according to the FHP. According to the highway patrol, the 1-year-old died at a nearby hospital.
According to the FHP, the tractor-driver, the trailer’s 60-year-old man, was not injured.
