Authorities identify victims of fatal crash involving fuel truck

Crash shut down part of Florida's Turnpike for several hours

KENDALL, Fla. – Authorities have released the names of the victims of a fatal multicar crash involving a fuel truck along Florida's Turnpike late Friday.

Lt. Alejandro Camacho, a spokesman for the Florida Highway Patrol, said Rene Hernandez, 68, and Natalia Landin, 67, were traveling in a Chevy Impala when they were killed near Southwest 88th Street. Their backseat passenger Mirta Estupinan, 67, was badly injured, Camacho said.

Camacho said Kritzia Lopez, 27, was driving a Honda Civic when she failed to negotiate the curve on the northbound entrance ramp. Her car collided with a Tropic Oil Co. truck, which then slammed into the Impala and a Ford van.

Lopez was seriously hurt, as were the driver of the van, 32-year-old Roel Castro, and his 41-year-old passenger, Eduardo Castellanos. The driver of the fuel truck, 48-year-old Farian Abraham, and his passenger, 56-year-old Jesus Crespo, were also injured.

Two other people suffered minor injuries and were treated at the scene.

A hazardous materials team was dispatched to the scene to contain the fuel leaking from the truck. The crash shut down a portion of the turnpike in both directions for several hours, causing traffic delays.