From the Florida Highway Patrol and Staff Reports
A tire blowout on Interstate 4 early Sunday morning led to a deadly chain-reaction crash that left one person dead and several others seriously injured, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
The crash occurred around 3:30 am on April 19 along westbound I-4 near mile marker 66 in Orange County.
According to FHP, a 2004 Chevrolet Trailblazer traveling westbound suffered a right rear tire blowout, causing the driver to lose control. The SUV overturned multiple times, eventually coming to rest near the left shoulder and median guardrail.
During the rollover, one passenger, a 17-year-old male resident of Lake Wales, was ejected from the vehicle and landed in the eastbound center lane of I-4.
Moments later, a 2017 Lexus traveling eastbound struck the ejected passenger, who was pronounced dead after being transported to Osceola Regional Medical Center.
The SUV was carrying a large group of occupants, most of them teenagers and young adults. The 18-year-old driver from Bartow and six passengers suffered serious injuries and were transported to Orlando Regional Medical Center, according to the report.
Those passengers ranged in age from 16 to 19 and were from communities including Bartow, Babson Park, and Lake Wales.
The driver of the Lexus, a 34-year-old man from Sanford, and his 28-year-old passenger were not injured and remained at the scene.
Investigators noted that the ejected passenger was not wearing a seatbelt.
The crash remains under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol.
