2 killed in Turnpike hazmat incident in Osceola County

OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. — Two people died Thursday as a result of an incident involving an unknown hazardous material in a vehicle on the Turnpike in south Osceola County, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

Osceola County Sheriff's Office deputies said that at about 3:15 p.m. a trooper found a white Porsche Cayenne on the Turnpike near mile marker 224 with two people dead inside.

The vehicle had sustained minor damage when it hit a guardrail in the median.

“There was minor damage to the vehicle. We don’t believe the cause of death was due to the car crash,” said Twis Lizasuain of the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office.%

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A trooper and two deputies were briefly hospitalized after being exposed to an unknown substance inside the vehicle.

“He got close to the vehicle, realized he had been exposed to an unknown substance. The two deputies that went to assist him were also exposed,” said Lizasuain.

The hazardous material has not been identified.

The north and southbound lanes were shut down at mile marker 224, just past Kissimmee Park Road to keep drivers at a distance from the car and whatever harmful substance was inside it.

The lanes reopened about two hours later.

Deputies are working with the medical examiner to determine how the victims died.

No other details were released.

Cox Media Group