Christmas Eve got off to a tragic start when two people were killed and three were injured when a car crashed into the Golden Link Motel at Vineland Road and U.S. Highway 192 early Friday morning, Florida Highway Patrol reported.
At 4:40 a.m., a Kia driven by a 32-year-old man from Haines City was southbound on Vineland approaching 192, traveled across the road and into the parking lot of the hotel, which is on 192 at the end of Vineland and has been the site of many crashes like this over the years.
The car struck the hotel building and two of the passengers, a 31-year-old Clermont woman and an 18-year-old Kissimmee woman, were pronounced dead on the scene. Three others, including the driver, a 39-year-old Davenport woman and a 30-year-old Orlando man, were transported to Osceola Regional Hospital with serious injuries.
Per FHP, the crash is still under investigation, and charges are pending against the driver.</p>
