MIRAMAR, Fla. – A major crash shut down all northbound lanes of Florida’s Turnpike near the Red Road in Miramar exit Thursday morning and left one man dead and a woman injured.
Sky 10 was above the scene just after 6 a.m. as one of the vehicles involved was rolled over on its roof.
11 p.m. report:
Fire Rescue crews could be seen appearing to work to get someone out of another vehicle that had significant damage to its front end and driver’s side.
Debris from the vehicles were scattered across the highway.
Family members described the victim, 23-year-old Ezekiel ‘Zeke’ Urrutia, as a young man dedicated to saving lives.
His mother said Urrutia’s 17-year-old sister would call him her hero.
Urrutia’s mother and father, Frank and Tiffany Urrutia, spoke with Local 10 News’ Michaila Hightower off camera in tears, describing their son as a paramedic who wanted to save lives.
The family said Urrutia was a graduate and wrestler from Palmetto High School before going on to work for the Miami-Dade ambulance company.
The family added that he had aspirations to work for the county fire department.
According to Miramar Fire Rescue officials, the crash was reported just before 1:50 a.m. on the Turnpike, just east of Red Road.
First responders confirmed that they extricated a woman from one of the vehicles and transported her to Memorial Regional Hospital with multiple injuries. She is currently listed as stable.
The Florida Highway Patrol later confirmed to local 10 News that the crash involved a 2010 grey Honda Element SUV and a 2016 grey Honda Civic sedan.
According to troopers, a 55-year-old woman from Hialeah was driving the wrong way on the Turnpike when her SUV crashed into a car being driven by Urrutia, who was from Cutler Bay.
Urrutia was pronounced dead at the scene.
Troopers said the victim was unable to avoid the crash and the two vehicles collided head-on.
After the crash, the woman’s SUV overturned, “coming to a final rest facing east upon the inside paved shoulder of eastbound Florida’s Turnpike,” an FHP report stated.
Troopers said Urrutia’s car “traveled in a southeasterly direction as it rotated” before coming to a final rest “facing west while occupying the outside lane and merge lane of the Florida’s Turnpike.”
While Urrutia was identified by his family, the identities of those involved in the crash have not yet been officially released by authorities.
The northbound lanes of the highway have since reopened.
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