A devastating accident in South Florida claimed the lives of nine family members, including six young children, when their SUV veered off the road, collided with a guardrail, and flipped into a canal. The sole survivor of the crash is currently in serious condition at a local hospital.
The incident occurred around 7:30 p.m. on Monday as the family, who were visiting from out of state, were navigating a sharp left curve in Belle Glade. The driver, Pamela Wiggins, who would have celebrated her 57th birthday the following day, lost control of the vehicle for reasons yet to be determined by the authorities.
The SUV, a 2023 Ford Explorer, crashed into a guardrail before plunging into a nearby canal. The vehicle was so deeply submerged that only its wheels were visible above the water, according to Palm Beach County Fire Rescue Capt. Tom Reyes.
Four of the victims were pronounced dead at the scene, while the remaining five succumbed to their injuries at the hospital. The deceased include six children, aged between one and 14, and three adults, including the driver. The lone survivor, 26-year-old Jorden Rickey Hall, is currently in serious condition.
The family, originally from Bridgeport, Connecticut, and Chesapeake, Virginia, were in Florida to celebrate a family member’s birthday. The crash occurred on the last day of their trip as they were en route to the airport to return home.
The Ford Explorer they were driving has a maximum capacity of seven, according to Ford dealership websites. At the time of the crash, none of the passengers in the overloaded vehicle were wearing seatbelts. The cause of the crash is currently under investigation by the police.
Belle Glade, where the accident occurred, is a farming community located about 45 miles west of West Palm Beach and just south of Lake Okeechobee.