A tragic sequence of events unfolded this morning on Interstate 4 that claimed the life of a 23-year-old Tennessee man following a car crash near U.S. Highway 192 in Osceola County. Authorities say a 2024 Kia Forte, carrying two individuals, failed to negotiate a curve, became airborne, hit a tree and a barrier, and overturned. Following the initial accident, the events took a fatal turn.
The driver and the Tennessee man managed to escape from the overturned vehicle. According to ClickOrlando, the Kissimmee driver went to a nearby hotel seeking assistance and was later hospitalized with minor injuries. The passenger, however, walked across the I-4 eastbound lanes into the westbound lanes where he was first struck by a 2024 Honda Odyssey, and then by another vehicle, resulting in fatal injuries.
The search is on for the second driver involved in the incident, as they left the scene following the collision. A key detail that remains a mystery is the description of the second vehicle involved in the man's death. The Florida Highway Patrol has not yet released any information on the vehicle or its driver.
Troopers believe that after the Honda Odyssey hit the passenger, he lay in the roadway when he was struck a second time. "Investigators believe a second vehicle may have also hit the man as he lay in the roadway," according to FOX 35 Orlando. He was pronounced dead at the scene, while the driver of the Odyssey was not injured and cooperated with law enforcement.
The Florida Highway Patrol continues to piece together the exact sequence of events and urges anyone with information to contact them at 407-737-2213 or Crimeline at 800-423-TIPS.
