A 7-year-old Palm Coast boy was flown to Wolfson Children’s Hospital in Jacksonville and an 8-year-old girl was in serious condition following a two-vehicle crash and fire on I-95 Monday night. Six people were involved–four in one car, two in the other–all but the two children sustaining minor injuries.
The crash was reported around 9:15 p.m. at mile marker 286, parallel with the weigh station on I-95, in the northbound lanes about three miles south of the Palm Coast Parkway intersection.
The crash involved a red Ford Eco Sport and a silver Ford Edge, both SUVs. Both were heading north. The Florida Highway Patrol crash report released to media is vague, but suggests that the one of the SUVs was stopped in traffic–most likely the Eco–and was rear-ended by the other, which had been going around 50 mph. The rear-ended vehicle “redirected” after the crash across the grassy shoulder and into a lane of the weigh station, where it ignited in a significant fire.
A Palm Coast family of four was in the rear-ended vehicle–a 33-year-old woman was driving, with a 31-year-old passenger in the front seat and the two young children in the back, who appeared to have taken the brunt of the collision. The occupants managed to extricate themselves or each other before emergency personnel arrived. The girl was transported by ground to Halifax hospital in Daytona Beach. Trauma One, the emergency helicopter, landed on the highway around 10 p.m. to transport the boy to Wolfson’s, and was on the way to the hospital 15 minutes later.
A 20-yearold woman was at the wheel of the Edge, with an 18-year-old woman in the passenger seat, both from Palm Coast.
The Palm Coast Fire Department, Flagler County Fire Rescue, the Palm Coast Fire Police and the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office responded ahead of FHP, which investigated the crash.
A video released by the Sheriff’s Office this evening vividly illustrates the scene, including the SUV still on fire as a deputy attempted to extinguish it and victims being tended to. The 8-year-old girl is being heard answering questions clearly–giving her name, her age–and lucidly even as she was being strapped onto a gurney, in pain. “You gotta stay away for mommy, okay?” her mother is heard telling the girl as she was placed in an ambulance.
The deputy running at the beginning of the video is Detective Adam Gossett, who had been out having dinner with his family, and was first on scene. Gossett, according to a sheriff’s release, discovered two children leaning against the car, both with injuries from the wreck. Gossett and the father both grabbed a child and carried them to safety, moving them away from the fire, off of the Interstate and onto a grassy area near the weigh station entrance. Gossett took off his shirt and used it to help stop the bleeding of one of the patients. Arriving deputies used their fire extinguishers in an attempt to knock down the fire.
“I’m very proud of Detective Gossett and everyone that responded,” Sheriff Rick Staly said. “A Deputy Sheriff is never off duty and this is a great example of responding to an emergency even while technically ‘off duty’.”
MikeM says
I hope they check the 20 yesr olds phone.
Texting while driving ?
Joseph says
Prayers to all involved.
Ricky Bobby says
Stopped in traffic? What in the world makes you stopped in traffic? Vehicles don’t just stop. They coast to a stop, with or without power. I and we don’t have the details. Probably never will. But there’s a high certainty that operator error and/or stupidity here nearly cost some childrens lives unnecessarily.
I do look forward to seeing fewer and fewer rolling combustion chambers on the raod. ie: More EVs.
Jane doe says
This is the mother of the two critical condition and that’s the million dollar question, why we’re u stopped in the middle of a highway? They almost cost my children’s lives.
Jimbo99 says
From the front end damage to the burned out vehicle pictured. That looks like the Ford Eco Sport, a Ford Edge is more rectangular body shape, also a little larger than an Eco Sport. Might have been a blind spot lane change accident just the same ? 9:30 PM traffic was stopped on I-95 ? Why ? They probably would’ve plowed into several cars at that speed with traffic stopped like that ?
FlaglerBear says
I’ve said this before, and unfortunately I’m saying it again. I95 is a total “free-for-all.” There is almost zero enforcement as law enforcement is stretched thin. The average speeds have crawled up to 90 plus mph with some bold drivers surpassing the 100 mark. We will continue to see these spectacular crashes here on I95 in Flagler County and beyond until…I don’t know. You tell me.