NTSB investigating Belle Glade crash that killed 6 children, 3 adults
PALM BEACH COUNTY - The NTSB is investigating a crash that took the lives of six children and three adults in Belle Glade on Monday night.
The children, ranging in age from 1 to 14 years old, and three adults 21, 30 and 56 years old, were killed as their vehicle flipped over and ended up in a canal.
Only one person, a 26-year-old man, survived.
"I met with the survivor of the crash this afternoon and offered him our deepest condolences," said Alvin Brown, with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
Investigators say the family of ten was visiting from out of state to go to a birthday party in Cape Coral.
They were traveling on Hatton Highway in Belle Glade around 7:30 p.m. when the driver lost control and hit a guard rail.
The car flipped over and landed in the body of water.
Four people died at the scene and five others died at the hospital.
"The car has been recovered and investigators will thoroughly examine it and conduct and forensic examination," said Brown.
According to the crash report, no one was wearing a seat belt.
The street where the crash happened is in a rural area and the curve on the road is sharp.
One former Palm Beach County commissioner who oversaw the area says the road is notoriously dangerous.
"The roadway markings are poor, the pavement condition is terrible, there are no lights, there are no guard rails on most of the road. I've been on a lot of roads in the area that are in poor condition, this is top of the list," said former Palm Beach Commissioner Melissa McKinlay.
It's still unclear why the driver lost control of the car, and the NTSB says this is just the start of the investigation.
The NTSB says they will release a preliminary report in about 30 days.