SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. – A 19-year-old Sanford man was killed, a 21-year-old driver was critically injured and a 16-year-old girl suffered injures when a BMW split in half during a crash late Tuesday in Seminole County, the Florida Highway Patrol said.
The fatal crash was reported around 10:30 p.m. on Country Club Road at Continental Boulevard near Lake Mary.
According to FHP spokeswoman Kim Montes, a 21-year-old Sanford man was driving a 2018 BMW north on Country Club Road when he failed to manage a curve, likely because of the speed the car was traveling. The car left the road, struck a tree and split into two pieces, the FHP said.
The 19-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene, troopers said.
The driver suffered critical injuries and was taken to Central Florida Regional Hospital, the FHP said. The Deltona girl suffered minor injuries and was also taken to the hospital, according to troopers.
Vince Catallotzi said he heard the loud crash outside of his home late Tuesday.
“I just heard the big explosion and we came running out,” Catllotzi said.
He said he did his best to help and he also called 911.
“All the people in the car were screaming, ‘Get us out, get us out,‘” Catllotzi said.
All three were wearing seat belts, according to an FHP report.
It’s not known where the trio was traveling to or from, Montes said.
“Just a reminder for drivers, it gets real easy for drivers to be going faster than you need to be going when it’s not a lot of drivers out,” Montes said.
Charges are pending against the driver, according to Montes.
“We just have to re-create the scene, see what his actions are, talk to that survivor, the 16 year old girl who is very traumatized, and see if we can piece together what happened prior to that crash,” she said.
An investigation is ongoing.