WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — All southbound lanes of Florida's Turnpike in West Palm Beach are back open after a deadly multi-vehicle crash shut them down Thursday night.
The Florida Highway Patrol said the wreck happened around 7:30 p.m. at Mile Marker 101.5, just north of the Okeechobee Blvd. exit.
Troopers said a BMW lost control on the slick road and spun out.
The driver of a tractor trailer tried to avoid hitting the BMW and jackknifed, colliding with a Honda Civic and pushing it into a median wall, FHP said. A female passenger in the Civic, whose name has not been released, died in the crash.
The tractor trailer then hit the BMW, which in turn hit a fourth vehicle, an Infinity QX60.
@FHPPalmBeach is investigating a fatal crash on Florida's Turnpike in the area of the 101.5-mile marker in Palm Beach County. Please use caution! Slow down in the area and expect delays. #ArriveAlive pic.twitter.com/Yd533BmSDF
— FHP West Palm Beach (@FHPPalmBeach) December 21, 2018
FHP said the driver of the Honda Civic suffered serious injuries, the driver of the BMW had minor injuries, and two people in the Infinity also suffered minor injuries. The driver of the tractor trailer was not hurt, troopers said.
At one point, traffic was backed up for about eight miles, until beyond State Road 710/Beeline Highway.
