A late Thursday night drive on Tomoka Farms Road in Volusia County ended in a deadly fireball when a car left the roadway, slammed into an embankment, and burst into flames, killing both people inside, according to authorities. The vehicle overturned, hit construction equipment, and caught fire, and emergency crews pronounced both occupants dead at the scene. One person was thrown from the car during the crash, troopers said.
What troopers say
According to WESH, Florida Highway Patrol troopers said the crash happened around 9:30 p.m. on Tomoka Farms Road just south of Bellevue Avenue. Investigators said the car, a 2005 Acura RL, was traveling north when the driver ran off the road, hit an embankment, overturned, and collided with construction equipment in a work zone.
The passenger was identified as a 27-year-old man who troopers said was not wearing a seat belt and was ejected from the vehicle. Both the driver and passenger were pronounced dead at the scene. The Medical Examiner's Office is working to identify the driver, and FHP said it is investigating why the vehicle left the roadway.
Seat belts and ejections
Crashes where occupants are ejected are far more likely to be deadly, especially when people are unrestrained. Data from the NHTSA show that occupant ejections and deaths among unrestrained people have increased in recent years, with a large share of ejected occupants in fatal crashes not wearing seat belts.
The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles' crash portal notes that official crash reports can take up to 10 days before they are available to the public.
Investigation ongoing
Per WESH, the Florida Highway Patrol said the crash remains under investigation, and the Medical Examiner's Office is continuing efforts to identify the driver. Troopers did not immediately release the driver's name or hometown. Officials said they will update the case as more information becomes available, and anyone with tips has been asked to contact the Florida Highway Patrol.
