JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A 16-year-old girl and two 27-year-old men were killed Monday in a weather-related crash on Heckscher Drive, just north of Huguenot Park, the Florida Highway Patrol said.
Family members told News4Jax the two men were brothers -- Adalid and Edin Osorto. They said the pair were getting a ride home from work when the car lost control.
According to the Highway Patrol, the Honda Civic they were in hydroplaned just before 6 p.m. and the 18-year-old driver lost control. The car went into a spin and crossed into oncoming traffic, where it was hit on the passenger side by a Toyota Camry driven by a 59-year-old woman.
The impact flipped the Civic onto its passenger side, troopers said.
The driver of the Civic suffered critical injuries and her three passengers died, according to the report. News4Jax has learned the 16-year-old who died was the driver’s sister.
One of the adult passengers was listed as not wearing a seat belt and the other three in the Civic were listed as unknown for wearing a seat belt.
The driver of the Camry was taken to a nearby hospital with serious injuries, troopers said. She was wearing a seat belt, according to the report.
Luz Mendoza, a cousin of the Osorto brothers, said the men were hard workers trying to provide for their children.
“They lived in Honduras, but they came like three years ago looking for a better future, better job,” Mendoza said.
FHP confirmed crash investigators are looking into whether tire tread or other faulty equipment might have contributed to the weather-related crash. A photo taken by a viewer shows very little tread left on one of the tires.
FHP data show since 2015 there have been 10 other crashes on that stretch of Heckscher Drive on Little Talbot Island.
Monday afternoon’s crash was the deadliest.
Florida Highway Patrol data show troopers have worked nearly 20,000 traffic crashes in Northeast Florida since January 2019, with over 2,900 of them happening during rainy weather. Drivers are encouraged to reduce their speed and make sure they have a good tire tread, especially for rainy weather.