CNN: Crash kills 7 children in Florida
"CNN) -- Seven members of a family died Wednesday when a tractor-trailer rear-ended their car in northeast Florida, slamming it into a school bus that had stopped to let off children, an official said.
All the occupants of the Pontiac car were children ages 21 months to 15 years, said Lt. Mike Burroughs of the Florida Highway Patrol. It burst into flames upon impact, killing all its occupants, he said.
The seven children were related, he said, adding that it was not clear which of them was at the wheel at the time of the wreck. In Florida, it is illegal for a 15-year-old to drive without a licensed adult in the car.
Three of nine children on the school bus were seriously injured and were taken by helicopter to hospitals. None of the students' injuries was life-threatening,
said Lt. Bill Leeper of the Florida Highway Patrol.
A spokeswoman for Shands hospital in Gainesville said eight patients were transported. Two were in critical condition; three in serious condition, said Betsy Miller. The youths ranged in age from 5 to 16, she said.
The incident happened four miles south of Lake Butler in Union County, some 20 miles north of Gainesville, shortly after 3 p.m.
All the vehicles were headed north at the time of the wrecks, Leeper said, adding, "For some reason, the driver failed to stop."
The driver of the semi was hospitalized with injuries that were not life-threatening, Leeper said.
The accident happened in good weather along a straight stretch of road that has a posted speed limit of 60 mph.
"There doesn't seem to be any reason why the semi could not observe the two vehicles stopped," Leeper said. "For some reason -- we're still trying to determine why -- he did not stop."
"It's a very chaotic scene," Burroughs said. "We're having trouble removing the family members from the car because of the way the car is lodged in and tied in with the metal pieces of the tractor-trailer."
"It is a mangled, fiery crash," he said, adding that "it was a very sad moment" when victims' family members visited the scene.
The bus was carrying students home from Lake Butler Elementary School and Lake Butler Middle School.
The National Transportation Safety Board said a team of investigators was to arrive Wednesday night at the crash site.
A nearby resident complained about the truck traffic on the two-lane road.
"The semis drive way too fast," said Effie White."
All the occupants of the Pontiac car were children ages 21 months to 15 years, said Lt. Mike Burroughs of the Florida Highway Patrol. It burst into flames upon impact, killing all its occupants, he said.
The seven children were related, he said, adding that it was not clear which of them was at the wheel at the time of the wreck. In Florida, it is illegal for a 15-year-old to drive without a licensed adult in the car.
Three of nine children on the school bus were seriously injured and were taken by helicopter to hospitals. None of the students' injuries was life-threatening,
said Lt. Bill Leeper of the Florida Highway Patrol.
A spokeswoman for Shands hospital in Gainesville said eight patients were transported. Two were in critical condition; three in serious condition, said Betsy Miller. The youths ranged in age from 5 to 16, she said.
The incident happened four miles south of Lake Butler in Union County, some 20 miles north of Gainesville, shortly after 3 p.m.
All the vehicles were headed north at the time of the wrecks, Leeper said, adding, "For some reason, the driver failed to stop."
The driver of the semi was hospitalized with injuries that were not life-threatening, Leeper said.
The accident happened in good weather along a straight stretch of road that has a posted speed limit of 60 mph.
"There doesn't seem to be any reason why the semi could not observe the two vehicles stopped," Leeper said. "For some reason -- we're still trying to determine why -- he did not stop."
"It's a very chaotic scene," Burroughs said. "We're having trouble removing the family members from the car because of the way the car is lodged in and tied in with the metal pieces of the tractor-trailer."
"It is a mangled, fiery crash," he said, adding that "it was a very sad moment" when victims' family members visited the scene.
The bus was carrying students home from Lake Butler Elementary School and Lake Butler Middle School.
The National Transportation Safety Board said a team of investigators was to arrive Wednesday night at the crash site.
A nearby resident complained about the truck traffic on the two-lane road.
"The semis drive way too fast," said Effie White."
posted by matua105 at 5:42 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home