4 members of Massachusetts family killed in multi-vehicle crash near Disney World
A van carrying eight family members—grandparents, parents, and four children—rolled over when it was struck by a pickup truck.
Update:
Eleven-year-old Jackson Smith, who had been in critical condition, died at Arnold Palmer Hospital on Wednesday afternoon, according to Florida Highway Patrol.
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Three members of a Massachusetts family were killed Tuesday evening in a multi-vehicle crash on a Florida highway near Disney World, according to authorities.
Florida Highway Patrol said the crash took place around 5:30 p.m. in the southbound lane of State Road 429 in Osceola County when a van, carrying three generations of the Bay State family, was rear-ended by a pickup truck. The van — with two grandparents, a mother and father, and their four young children — rolled over near Sinclair Road.
Josephine Fay, 76, of South Weymouth, 41-year-old Julie Smith of Whitman, and 5-year-old Scarlett Smith were killed, according to police.
Five-year-old Scarlett Smith (right) and Julie Smith (center) of Whitman were killed, along with Julie’s mother, Josephine Fay (left) of Weymouth.
Another member of the family, an 11-year-old boy, is in critical condition. Lt. Kim Montes, a spokesperson for Florida Highway Patrol, told Boston.com Wednesday morning that the boy was on life support and unresponsive.
The four other family members — a 76-year-old man, 43-year-old man, 10-year-old girl, and 5-year-old girl — sustained minor injuries and have been released from the hospital.
The family was in the area on vacation, Montes said.
Multiple crews on scene this evening with @FHPOrlando, in response to a vehicle accident with rollover and entrapment on 429 at Sinclair Road. 429 southbound is currently closed. It is not known when southbound lanes will reopen at this time. pic.twitter.com/rd4wfruBGu
— Osceola County Fire Rescue & EMS (@OSCFR) February 19, 2020
According to police, two other vehicles were struck during the crash, but only the occupants of the van were injured.
The crash remains under investigation and charges may be brought against the driver of the pickup, a 26-year-old man from Kissimmee, Florida, according to authorities.
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