Five children and two adults are dead following a fiery crash on I-75 in Alachua County, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
The five children who died were traveling in a church van with four other children and three adults from the United Pentecostal Church in Marksville, Louisiana according to a Facebook post from the superintendent.
A MESSAGE FROM OUR SUPERINTENDENT: Yesterday, January 3, 2019, a van load of people from our United Pentecostal Church...
Posted by La District UPC on Friday, January 4, 2019
Troopers said the crash happened at mile marker 394 at approximately 3:40 p.m. Thursday.
A preliminary investigation revealed that a semi-truck and another car collided for unknown reasons while traveling northbound on I-75 and hit a guardrail.
MORE: Children killed in fiery I-75 crash were headed to Disney World, FHP says
"After the collision, both vehicles traveled through the guardrail, in the center median and into the southbound lanes," troopers stated in a press release.
The semi-truck then collided with a van and another semi-truck in the southbound lanes, causing the van to overturn and eject some of the occupants.
Both semi-trucks caught fire, FHP said.
The five Louisiana children killed were inside the van and were headed to Disney World, according to the FHP.
Both semi-truck drivers were killed. They were both men.
At least seven others were injured in the crash. Troopers are working to confirm with hospital staff if there are any more injuries.
LIVE: FHP gives update on deadly, fiery I-75 crashLIVE: FHP gives update on fiery I-75 crash that killed 7 people bit.ly/2AxDNCx
Posted by Action News Jax on Friday, January 4, 2019
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