An 18-year-old Apopka man was killed and six other people were injured late Friday night when four vehicles collided on southbound State Road 429 near Plant Street. The crash happened around 11:15 p.m. near mile marker 24 and involved a Jeep Cherokee, a Hyundai Sonata, a Chevrolet Camaro and a Kia Sportage.
According to the West Orange Times & Observer, all four vehicles were traveling southbound on SR 429 north of Plant Street. The wftv.com reported that a Jeep Cherokee driven by a 60-year-old Orlando man struck the rear of the Hyundai Sonata. That impact sent the Sonata into the path of a Chevrolet Camaro, which then struck the Hyundai from behind. A Kia Sportage traveling in the outside lane then struck debris scattered from the initial collision. The Observer detailed the vehicles involved as a 2016 Jeep Cherokee, a 2012 Hyundai Sonata, a 2025 Kia Sportage and a 2017 Chevy Camaro.
The 18-year-old man who died was a passenger in the Hyundai Sonata and was pronounced dead at the scene. The Sonata's driver, an 18-year-old Apopka woman, suffered minor injuries, according to the station's report. Two other passengers in the Sonata — a 16-year-old girl from Ocoee and a 14-year-old girl from Apopka — suffered serious injuries and were taken, along with the driver, to Orlando Regional Medical Center, per Yahoo News.
Six Injured, One Driver Uninjured
The Jeep Cherokee's driver and the two occupants of the Chevrolet Camaro also were taken to the hospital with minor injuries, the same account notes. In all, six people were transported to Orlando Regional Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries, per the West Orange Times & Observer. The Kia Sportage's driver, a 59-year-old Orlando man, was not injured and remained at the scene.
The crash remains under investigation, and the exact cause of the initial collision between the Jeep and the Hyundai has not been determined publicly. It is at least the second multivehicle crash reported in recent years along that same stretch of SR 429 near Plant Street. In February 2023, a multivehicle crash in the same area prompted a temporary closure of southbound SR 429, which the Florida Highway Patrol attributed to a Dodge Charger driver who failed to stop for traffic, according to ClickOrlando. That earlier crash sent three people to AdventHealth Apopka Hospital with minor injuries, and the roadway reopened around 7:40 a.m.
Investigation Continues
No additional details on potential citations or findings from Friday night's crash have been released. Separately, a July 2025 report from Fox 35 Orlando described another fatal crash on a SR 429 entrance ramp in Orange County, though that incident is unrelated to Friday's collision. For now, Florida Highway Patrol investigators continue to piece together what led the Jeep Cherokee to strike the Hyundai Sonata, setting off the chain of collisions that killed the Apopka teen.
