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Parents of three siblings killed in a car crash speak out
A deadly crash on Florida's Turnpike killed six people this weekend. Of the six who died, three of them were siblings traveling for what was supposed to be their first sibling trip together. FHP is still investigating the crash.
ORLANDO, Fla. - A Florida mom and dad are devastated and figuring out how to pick up the pieces after three of their adult children were killed in a fiery crash on the Florida Turnpike over the weekend.
The backstory:
The deadly crash happened around 9:30 p.m. Friday night in the northbound lanes of the Florida Turnpike, near mile marker 252.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP), a Road Ranger roadside assistance truck had been dispatched to help a disabled box truck positioned on the outside shoulder. Investigators said as the truck was moving across the roadway, it was clipped by a 2023 Chevrolet Traverse.
A witness told FHP that the driver of the Traverse may have been speeding and driving without its headlights on. The crash sent both vehicles off the road, where the Traverse caught fire, trapping the six people inside. All six people were killed, FHP said.
What they're saying:
Marshall Clarke-Milton told FOX 35's Stephanie Buffamonte that she felt something was wrong that night when she was able to get ahold of her adult children. She then heard about the crash, and immediately reached out to officials.
"Once I gave them the names, the young lady told me, yes, we have two of them currently. So, my heart sank. Because somehow I knew it was them, but I didn't want it to be them," she said.
She said three of her adult children died in the fire – Charles, Jakara, and Dalvena, along with their significant others, and a friend. All six were headed to Universal Orlando's Halloween Horror Nights, she said.
"I feel like I need to see them walk through the door even though I know it's not possible. [Our granddaughter] is why we are going to get up every day and be better every day. Everything is for her. I'm happy that we were blessed with her, because without her we would have literally had nothing. We would have had nothing left," said Clarke-Milton.
"It's rough to lose one, it is rough to lose two, but three, it has been rough. So, hour at a time, even that ain't enough really, I just, we trying, I'm trying," said dad Charles Milton Sr.
Local perspective:
The parents are questioning the narrative presented by the Florida Highway Patrol and believe there should be more investigation done before claiming their children in the SUV caused the crash.
"They're gonna check the vehicle. They're going to check the system in the vehicle that records the rate of speed at the time. They are going to the system that tells you whether or not those lights were on before the impact or did they come off after the impact. So all of these things you have to investigate, and you have to check before you say this person was at fault," said Marshall Clarke-Milton.
In response, FHP told FOX 35 that the investigation into the crash remains open. A crash report is expected to be released within 10 days of the crash.
NTSB opens investigation
Dig deeper:
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) confirmed to FOX 35 that it would open an investigation into the deadly crash.
"Safety issues under investigation include the training and performance of the roadside assistance vehicle driver, the actions of the SUV driver, including speed, and restraint use by the SUV occupants. The NTSB regularly investigates highway crashes to identify potential safety issues with nationwide implications and to develop recommendations aimed at preventing similar crashes in the future."
The Source: This story uses information gathered by FOX 35's Stephanie Buffamonte, including interviews with Marshall Clarke-Milton and Charles MIlton Sr., as well as the initial crash report and details from the Florida Highway Patrol.