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VERO BEACH - Six people died Sunday in a chain-reaction traffic accident apparently caused by a blown tire on a rural section of Florida's Turnpike, officials said.
The accident began shortly after 2 p.m. when the driver of a Toyota heading north lost control of the vehicle, which crossed the median into southbound traffic about 20 miles west of Vero Beach, Florida Highway Patrol Lt. Pat Santangelo said. The car then rammed head-on into a Honda, which crossed over into northbound traffic and struck another vehicle.
All three people in the Toyota died and three of the four people in the Honda died, including a 7-month-old child, Santangelo said.
None of the victims were identified because their families were being notified. One woman in the Honda survived with a broken leg, he said. No one was hurt in the third vehicle.
Investigators found the left rear tire of the Toyota punctured, which apparently caused the driver to lose control, Santangelo said.
The accident shut down part of the turnpike for several hours, causing traffic to back up for at least 15 miles in each direction. All lanes had reopened by about 6:30 p.m., he said.
Vero Beach is 67 miles north of West Palm Beach.