2023 is going out with an unfortunate toll on the roads, with three fatalities involving Osceola County residents on Sunday:
SUNDAY EVENING UPDATE: The unidentified remains of the driver of a van that plunged into a retention pond at State Road 417 were recovered this morning, Florida Highway Patrol has reported.
The 2004 Ford Freestar Van was traveling southbound on 417, exiting at World Drive. For an unknown reason, the van ran off the roadway left and entered the retention pond and became completely submerged.
A volunteer dive group found the van in the pond around 8:30 a.m. Sunday. The driver's unidentified remains were recovered and sent to the Medical Examiner's office for positive identification.
While FHP says the specific time and date of the crash are unknown and under investigation, and also noted the case is associated with an Orlando Police Department investigation into a missing persons case. The fatal traffic crash remains under investigation.
SUNDAY AFTERNOON UPDATE: A St. Cloud man has been arrested and charged with DUI manslaughter after causing a fatal crash at Forest City Road and Lake Weston Drive in Orange County just after 4 a.m. Sunday.
Florida Highway Patrol reports Alejandro Valencia, 39, has been booked into the Orange County Jail after troopers say failed to stop at a stop sign and turned his Toyota Tundra into the path of a Hyundai Sonata driven by a 24-year-old Orlando woman, who was pronounced deceased on the scene. Despite reportedly not wearing a seat belt, troopers say Valencia sustained minor injuries.
SUNDAY MORNING: A 55-year-old Orlando man was killed early Sunday morning when he was struck by an Osceola County Sheriff's Office cruiser, the Florida Highway Patrol reports.
The crash happened just after 1 a.m. Sunday on West U.S. Highway 192 near Celebration Avenue, an FHP crash report said. The SUV, driven by a 28-year-old Kissimmee man, was headed westbound. The victim was crossing 192 from south to north, not in a crosswalk according to FHP, and was struck coming from the median after entering the direct path of the SUV. He was taken to Celebration Hospital, where he was pronounced said, troopers said.
The SUV driver was not hurt and remained on scene. The crash remains under investigation.
