ORLANDO, Fla. — Two drivers were killed on State Road 429 on Thursday morning when a Land Rover traveling the wrong way slammed head-on into a pickup truck, troopers say.
- FHP: Land Rover traveled wrong way on SR 429 before crash
- Land Rover struck Isuzu pickup truck head on, investigators say
- Northbound lanes of SR 429 were closed for most of afternoon
The four-vehicle crash happened at about 10 a.m. in the Winter Garden area, according to a Florida Highway Patrol crash report.
Witnesses told troopers that a white 2019 Land Rover heading south temporarily went into the grass median before re-entering the southbound lanes. But then the Land Rover headed back into the grass median and entered the northbound lanes of S.R. 429, the witnesses said.
It "traveled some distance" before slamming into a northbound 2012 Isuzu pickup head-on, FHP investigators said.
The pickup overturned onto its side, then landed on the hood of a 2017 Chevrolet Cruze.
A northbound 2009 Toyota Camry also was involved when it hit the side of the Land Rover.
The driver of the Land Rover, 39-year-old Kevin Butz of Winter Garden, was declared dead at the scene. The 30-year-old driver of the Isuzu pickup, Demetrius Starling of Winter Park, was taken to a hospital in critical condition but died. Butz was not wearing a seat belt, troopers said.
The northbound lanes of S.R. 429 were closed for more than eight hours Thursday for the crash investigation.
The drivers of the Camry and Cruze weren't hurt.