ORLANDO, Fla. — Two people were killed and a semi overturned in a fiery crash on U.S. 27 Friday afternoon, troopers said.
- 2 dead in multi-vehicle crash involving semi on US 27
- US 27 was closed in both directions for several hours
- Troopers release names of 2 Clermont women killed
The deadly crash happened Friday afternoon at U.S. 27 and Lake Louisa Road in Lake County.
According to Florida Highway Patrol, the driver of a northbound semi truck failed to slow down for stopped traffic at the intersection of Lake Louisa Road.
That's when it hit the back of a 2004 Nissan car, creating a domino effect. The Nissan struck the back of a 2007 Ford pickup truck, and that truck hit the back of a 2017 Ford SUV.
Soon after, the Nissan burst into flames.
The semi then flipped onto its side and slid across the roadway into the southbound lanes. A 2019 Toyota four-door and a 2016 Kia four-door then collided with the semi, says an FHP crash report.
The driver and the passenger in the Nissan were pronounced dead at the scene. They were Jeanuel Cabrera, 20, and Carmen Adachi, 20, both of Clermont.
The people in the other vehicles were all wearing seat belts and had minor injuries, troopers said.
Charges are pending against the driver of the semi, 63-year-old Robert Butcher of Silver Springs, according to the FHP report.
The Florida Highway Patrol was closed U.S. 27 in both directions for several hours near Lake Louisa Road for the investigation.