Community mourns four killed in DeLand crash

VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. — Friends and loved ones gathered at the intersection of State Road 44 and Grand Avenue in DeLand Monday to remember the lives of four people killed last week in a horrific crash.

A woman and her three grandchildren were killed in the crash, which happened when a Ford Explorer pulled in front of their Jeep, causing it to flip and catch fire, officials said.

They were headed to the park, troopers said.

A passerby tried to get to the woman and children, but the fire was too hot and grew too quickly, the troopers said.

"The loss has been unbearable," said Sarah Bridges, the mother of one of the young victims.

“It is very hard to wake up when I do sleep,” she said. “I just sit there.”

The intersection at which the crash took place has a history of serious crashes, and Tuesday’s deaths prompted the Florida Department of Transportation to fast-track plans for construction of a roundabout.

The construction will take about 10 months to complete and in the meantime, installation of a temporary traffic signal is planned.

Plans for the roundabout were in progress before last week’s deadly crash and Bridges wondered why it hadn’t been completed earlier.

“I just don’t understand how they have to wait for three innocent babies and a wonderful grandmother (to die) for them to get off their butts and do something,” she said.

Cox Media Group