Nine people are dead, including six children after a driver crashed an SUV into a canal in Florida on Monday.
Four people were pronounced dead at the scene while six were transported to a nearby hospital. Five of the people died at the hospital. There is only one survivor, who officials identified as a 26-year-old male with “serious” injuries.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families during this heartbreaking incident,” the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Officesheriff’s office said in a statement.
The car had been traveling westbound on Hatton Highway in Belle Glade, Florida, about 70 miles from Miami, around 7:30pm, according to NBC News. The driver did not properly make a left turn and came onto a grass shoulder before hitting a guardrail and turning into the canal.
Officials found the 2023 Ford Explorer partially submerged and upside down in the canal. Four people were then taken to the hospital with ground units and two were taken via Trauma Hawk helicopter.
Divers searched the canal to ensure there were no remaining victims. Six of the people killed were between the ages of one and 14.
Palm Beach County saw scattered rain storms on Monday night but it’s not clear what caused the crash.
Speaking to reporters after the incident, Palm Beach County Fire Rescue Captain Tom Reyes said: “I’ve been with the department for 20 years and this is one of the most difficult scenes I’ve been on.”
The National Transportation Safety Board announced that it is working with the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office to conduct a safety investigation into the crash.
