A 3-year-old boy from Fort Pierce has died following a tragic wrong-way crash on Florida's Turnpike in Indian River County. The Florida Highway Patrol confirmed that the child passed away on Thursday morning at St. Mary's Medical Center. The fatal incident occurred late Saturday night and resulted in the death of the 26-year-old driver, while several other individuals involved in the multi-vehicle collision sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
Details of the Collision
The crash involved three vehicles traveling on the turnpike. According to authorities, a 26-year-old woman from Fort Pierce was operating a white 2025 Kia K4 sedan. She was driving south in the wrong direction within the inside northbound lane. Her vehicle's front left corner collided head-on with the front left corner of a northbound black 2023 Kia Pacifica.
The 26-year-old woman was pronounced dead at the scene. She was traveling with two young children from Fort Pierce: the 3-year-old boy who has since passed away, and a 5-year-old who sustained non-life-threatening injuries, as reported by Civic Coast.
Other Victims and Injuries
The impact of the crash affected passengers in the second vehicle, a Kia Pacifica. Three women from Royal Palm Beach—aged 24, 50, and 74—were transported to HCA Florida Lawnwood Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The driver of the Pacifica, a 22-year-old man from Margate, was also transported to the same hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
A third vehicle was involved in the incident. The driver, a 48-year-old man from Mount Dora, and a 23-year-old male passenger from Mount Dora were not injured. However, a 46-year-old female passenger from Mount Dora suffered minor injuries. The Florida Highway Patrol continues to investigate the circumstances that led to the wrong-way driving, El País reported.
