Victims in fiery, head-on crash are all from Kissimmee
POINCIANA, Fla. (FOX 13) - The three people who died in a head-on Polk County crash have been identified.
Polk County deputies said the driver of a red Nissan 350Z was speeding and crashed into a white Nissan Sentra in Poinciana. The driver of the sports car, 19-year-old Emmanuel Lashawn Macedo Semedo, passed away.
The driver of the Sentra, 45-year-old Johana Martinez Rodriguez, and passenger, 43-year-old Ramon Antonio De Jesus Cintron, also died following the crash. The victims are all from Kissimmee, Florida, officials said.
On Tuesday evening, a Polk County deputy spotted the speeding Nissan 350Z, and started following it on Marigold Avenue. As the deputy rounded a curve, he saw that the collision occurred near the intersection of Marigold Avenue and Bell Tower Crossing East.
Investigators said it appeared the speeding vehicle crossed over the double-yellow center line and struck the second vehicle, which was traveling southbound. The Nissan Sentra was propelled into the air and into a ditch, deputies said.
During a press conference, Sheriff Grady Judd said the sports car caught on fire. All three victims died at the scene.
"It's painful anytime anyone dies in a crash, but it's three times as painful tonight because three people have died in a crash and it appears, needlessly," he said during the press conference.
Anyone who may have witnessed the crash are asked to call the Polk County Sheriff's Office at 863-298-6200.