CLAY COUNTY, Fla. – Two girls killed in a three-car crash in Clay County over the weekend were returning home to Canada from a family vacation in Florida when the accident happened, according to a GoFundMe page.
The wreck happened about 6 a.m. Saturday on U.S. 301 at the intersection of County Road 218.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, a concrete truck rear-ended the van containing the Kort family and then the family van’s rear-ended an SUV ahead of it as the light turned green at the intersection.
According to the GoFundMe page, the Kort family lost two daughters. Four other family members were hurt, with two in critical care.
The Ontario-based law firm of the father, Pieter Kort, posted that 13-year-old Madeline and 10-year-old Joni were killed and that 16-year-old Hannah and the children’s mother, Jamie, are in the ICU. The father and son, 15-year-old Ethan, are recovering, the post said.
People who work on U.S. 301 like Jeffrey Young know how treacherous the road can be.
“It’s a dangerous spot -- very dangerous,” said Young, whose family business has been along the road for 15 years. “You got people pulling out, you got driveways, you know, and it’s like an interstate out here.”
It’s a busy road with a lot of semitrucks that travel on it. The rural stretch near Saturday’s crash is dotted with memorials for others who have died.
For Vijay Patel, who owns a gas station nearby, the news of the crash was tough to hear.
“That’s horrible,” Patel said. “Nobody likes that.”
As of Monday afternoon, a GoFundMe for the Kort family had raised more than $300,000, with a family member writing, “While we don’t know the specifics of this journey, we know the road ahead will be fraught with immeasurable grief. Your love, support and prayers are appreciated during this time.”
According to troopers, the driver of the SUV involved in Saturday’s crash -- a 72-year-old Gainesville man -- and the four SUV passengers -- a 3-year-old girl, a 12-year-old boy, a 35-year-old woman and a 42-year-old man, all of whom are from Fort Collins, Colorado -- suffered minor injuries.
The truck driver involved in the crash -- a 48-year-old Gainesville man -- was not injured, troopers said.
FHP is still investigating the crash. A spokesperson says that if the driver of the concrete truck is found to be at fault, the driver could be facing charges.
People in the area had some ideas on conditions at the intersection that could have contributed to the crash. One person mentioned the light at that intersection is at the crest of a hill, so it can sneak up on drivers pretty quickly. Other things that came up are construction there that could be distracting, as well as the fact that there are more people on the road around spring break.