3 dead in crash on Florida Turnpike in Osceola County

KENANSVILLE, Fla. – Three people were killed early Tuesday in a three-vehicle crash on the Florida Turnpike in Osceola County, the Florida Highway Patrol said.

The fatal crash was reported at 12:40 a.m. in the southbound lanes of the Turnpike near Kenansville, about 30 miles south of Kissimmee. Southbound lanes were shut down at U.S. Highway 192, where drivers were forced to exit. The roadway reopened around 11:30 a.m.

The FHP said the driver of a 2003 Mitsubishi, 31-year-old Alexander Molina of Nebraska, was traveling at about 5 mph in the right lane due to a flat tire. A Ford Explorer, driven by 30-year-old Sergio Caceres Bacas of Miami, traveling with the car at approximately the same speed was directly behind it, troopers said.

A FedEx big rig with a double trailer, driven by 57-year-old Lori McMillan of West Palm Beach, approached the rear of the SUV at normal speeds and did not realize the vehicles were traveling slowly, the FHP said. The front of the semi struck the rear of the Ford Explorer and then the back of the Mitsubishi before jackknifing, according to troopers.

Troopers said 32-year-old Katia Caceres, a 53-year-old woman and a man who were in the Ford Explorer died in the crash. They were not wearing seat belts.

Caceres Bacas was taken to Orlando Regional Medical Center in serious condition. A 9-year-old boy in the vehicle suffered serious injuries as did 55-year-old Azucena Baca Valle.

McMillian and Molina suffered minor injuries.

Traffic was backed up on U.S. 192, where another crash happened while traffic was being rerouted, officials said.

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