ORLANDO, FL — Five people, including three children under 10 and a teenager, were killed in a two-car crash in northwest Orange County Thursday evening, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
Two other adults were injured in the accident, which occurred near Clarcona Ocoee Road and Gaymar Drive just before 8 p.m., FHP spokeswoman Lt. Kim Montes said.
During a news conference near the scene of the accident Thursday night, Montes said a car turning left was hit by another vehicle. The car that was turning had six passengers, though the vehicle only had five seats, she said.
Several people were ejected from the first car during the accident, and it appeared some of them were not wearing their seatbelts, Montes said.
One of the children killed was young enough to sit in an infant car seat. Responders believe the people killed in the crash were all related.
Both drivers survived the accident. One appeared to be in stable condition when taken to the hospital, but the driver in the car that was hit sustained serious injuries, Orange County Fire Rescue Chief Thomas Veal said.
“This is one of the most horrific scenes we’ve had in a very long time,” Montes said. “... Half of the vehicle is gone, and it’s gone from impact.”
Veal said the call was “extremely rough” but FHP and OCFR’s response was “phenomenal.”
“We have senior firefighters who’ve been on the department 15+ years, and this is never easy, especially when you talk about children,” he said. “Our hearts go out to the families and to the community.”
Family members of those killed in the accident showed up to the scene of the crash and were receiving assistance from FHP and OCFR, Montes said.
“Their emotions are raw, because they see what’s going on,” Veal said. “... Our job is to help people and to ease in their time of suffering, and when we can’t do that, it’s very hard.”
Another fatal crash happened in the same area in January, and FHP troopers will ask the intersection be evaluated for safety, Montes said.
(Staff writer David Harris contributed to this report.)
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