A seven-year-old child died Saturday from injuries suffered in a crash on the Florida Turnpike in Lake County.
Adrian Perez of Fort Pierce was pronounced dead at Leesburg Regional Medical Center.
He had been a passenger in a 2003 Dodge Grand Caravan that was rear-ended at 1:15 a.m. Saturday at Mile Marker 290 by a semi driven by 51-year-old William Irvin Anderson Jr. of West Park, according an accident report from the Florida Highway Patrol.
The Grand Caravan, driven by 31-year-old Natalia Ramirez Martin of Fort Pierce, struck a guardrail and overturned after being rear-ended. Martin suffered serious injuries and was transported to Orlando Regional Medical Center. Three other children in the vehicle – ages 4, 6 and 9 – suffered serious injuries and were transported to Arnold Palmer Children’s Hospital. Another passenger, 32-year-old Salvador Hernandez of Fort Pierce, escaped with minor injuries.
The crash remains under investigation.
Charges against Anderson are pending. He was not injured.
Everyone in the Grand Caravan was either wearing a seatbelt or in a child restraint, the report noted.