Kissimmee man killed in accidental shed explosion
The at-large driver may have been traveling in this silver Lexus sedan when it was involved in a fatal hit-and-run crash Friday. (Photo/FHP)
FHP Traffic Homicide investigators announced Friday that they had located the suspect vehicle and a person of interest in a deadly hit-and-run crash near AdventHealth Kissimmee earlier in the morning.
A 31-year-old Iowa man was killed around 7 a.m. Friday after being struck by three vehicles – including one that left the scene – while crossing Orange Blossom Trail at Hilda Street in a wheelchair. Troopers say the man was traveling westbound outside of a marked crosswalk across the northbound lanes when he was first hit by a 2012 Kia Rio, then by what investigators believe was a silver Lexus sedan and finally by a 2012 Ford Taurus.
The drivers of the Kia and Ford both stopped and cooperated with investigators, but the Lexus driver fled the scene and remains at large. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene. Neither of the drivers who stayed were injured.
Under Florida law, leaving the scene of a crash resulting in a death carries a mandatory minimum sentence of four years in prison. With a rash of hit-and-run crashes occurring throughout the region, FHP urges all drivers to know what to do if they are involved in a crash:
Check for injuries — ensure you and your passengers are safe and remain calm.
Move to safety — if possible, pull off the roadway, remove your keys, and stay in a safe area.
Call for help — dial 911 if anyone is hurt or a vehicle is disabled.
Exchange information — if no one is injured, collect names, driver’s licenses, insurance details and license plate numbers, and take photos if possible before filing an online crash report.
Kissimmee man killed in accidental shed explosion
An 81-year-old Kissimmee man was killed Thursday evening when a propane tank exploded inside a backyard shed, Osceola County Sheriff's Office reports.
Deputies and fire rescue crews responded just before 6:30 p.m. to 1810 Orange Vista Boulevard after receiving reports of a structure fire. When firefighters extinguished the flames, they found a body inside the burned shed. The victim was later identified as Miguel Guzman, according to investigators.
Detectives interviewed Guzman’s wife and daughter, who were home when the fire broke out. Surveillance footage from a backyard camera showed Guzman sitting in the shed doorway with a drill and a propane tank moments before the explosion. According to the sheriff’s office, he was attempting to drill into the tank when it ignited and exploded, throwing him backward into the shed, which quickly became engulfed in flames.
Deputies said Guzman died at the scene. The incident remains under investigation, but preliminary findings indicate it was accidental.
This incident is not related to the scrap yard fire that broke out earlier in the day Thursday just to the north along Old Tampa Highway.
