ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Six people died late Friday when the SUV they were riding in slammed into a Road Ranger assistance truck on Florida’s Turnpike in Orange County, south of Orlando, and both vehicles went up in flames, the Florida Highway Patrol said.
The crash happened at about 9:30 p.m. in the northbound lanes near mile marker 252, close to Weatherby Road in south Orange County. Troopers said the Road Ranger truck had been stopped in the grassy median, warning lights on, while its driver helped at an earlier crash. The driver, a 28-year-old Kissimmee man, then started moving the truck toward the outside shoulder to help a box truck.
A 2023 Chevrolet Traverse traveling in the inside lane came up behind the service truck. Witnesses told troopers the SUV was going fast and had no headlights on. The front left side of the Traverse hit the back right corner of the Road Ranger truck, according to the patrol’s crash report.
Both vehicles ran off the highway and caught fire. The SUV’s driver and five adult passengers were trapped inside and were pronounced dead at the scene. The Road Ranger driver was not hurt and did not need to go to a hospital.
The Florida Highway Patrol said it is still working to identify the six victims, and the medical examiner’s office must confirm their names. Northbound traffic on the turnpike was blocked for hours overnight while troopers investigated and crews cleared the burned vehicles.
Road Rangers are state-funded service patrols that help stranded drivers and secure crash scenes on Florida’s major highways. The crash remains under investigation, and troopers have not said whether charges or citations are expected.
Section: More Orlando FL crime news
Filed under: Orlando FL Traffic News
