Friday, May 5, 2017

At least 1 person died in a fiery head-on collision on State Road 60 in Osceola County, Florida




At least one person died Thursday morning in a fiery head-on collision on State Road 60 in a remote area of Osceola County, troopers say.

The crash happened around 8:40 a.m. about three miles west of Yeehaw Junction near Mae Bass Road, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

Spokesperson Sgt. Kim Montes said a five-door Lexus driving east on S.R. 60 crossed the center lane and hit a westbound tractor-trailer head-on.

She said the Lexus was completely engulfed in flames and the driver died. The driver was not immediately identified, pending notification of next of kin.

The truck was being driven by Larry Nguyen, 50, of Tampa. According to an crash report, he suffered minor injuries.

It is unknown why the car crossed into oncoming traffic.

Motorist Cristy Crews was a few vehicles behind the tractor-trailer Thursday when she heard the impact and saw flames.

“They hit head-on and as soon as they hit, the car flipped and burst into flames,” she said.

Numerous people stopped, she said, but the fire was too intense for anyone to get to the driver to help.

She said by the time emergency crews arrived, the Lexus was fully engulfed in flames.

Troopers shut down S.R. 60 in both directions while investigating the accident. The road was reopened by Thursday afternoon.