An elderly woman celebrating her 94th birthday died and eight other people were injured, including three minors, when the van they were traveling in crashed into a fuel tanker on the Turnpike highway on Tuesday afternoon, according to the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP).
The tragic collision -which occurred around 2:30 p.m. (local time)- took place at the intersection of 595 and Griffin Road, in Broward County, in the southbound lanes, and caused chaos in the traffic in the area.
As a result of the incident, an adult was urgently airlifted to Broward General Hospital in serious condition, while the other seven injured, including three minors - one of them only two years old - were transported by ambulances for medical attention.
The injured minors are two girls, one nine years old and the other eight, and a little boy who is just two years old.
The remaining injured adults are the driver of the pickup truck, 42 years old; a 27-year-old man; and three women aged 30, 38, and 60.
All the injured individuals are in stable condition and are expected to survive. The driver of the tanker truck was unharmed.
Plantation fire officials said that no one in the truck was wearing a seatbelt.
Aerial images captured by local media from South Florida showed a white truck with severe damage to the front along with other vehicles that appeared to have been involved.
A rescue helicopter landed in the middle of the road to assist in emergency efforts, while traffic remained completely halted due to the accident.
The authorities continue to investigate the causes of the crash.
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