The collision of a 2023 Ford Explorer against a canal in Palm Beach County on Monday night resulted in the death of nine people, including six minors, as well as one person injured.
The victims were members of a family, according to the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office.
The accident occurred shortly after 7:30 p.m. on Southwest Conners Highway in Belle Glade, Local 10 News reported.
According to official sources, the vehicle was being driven by a 56-year-old woman who also had her birthday on Tuesday. The driver was traveling on the westbound lane of Hatton Highway, and for some reason, she failed to navigate a turn and crashed into a barrier, ending up in the ditch.
Tom Reyes, captain of PBCFR, stated in an interview with WPTV, an NBC affiliate, that the divers worked quickly to rescue the victims, who were about 10 occupants, according to preliminary information.
"This is a very significant scene. This is a very difficult decision. We have critical incident stress management teams that come to talk with our firefighters, to work with the Sheriff’s department," said Reyes.
Four people were declared dead at the scene, while the other six were hospitalized, two of whom were airlifted to a trauma center with serious injuries.
The Palm Beach Sheriff's Office confirmed this Tuesday that five of those hospitalized have died, leaving only one survivor, 26-year-old Jorden Hall, who is in critical condition.
The six minors were between 1 and 14 years old, and the youngest victim was a 23-month-old girl.
The police authorities assured that an investigation will be opened to determine exactly what happened.
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