Osceola crash tragic for Hialeah church group:
1 dead, 2 critical 

YEEHAW JUNCTION -- A woman was killed and two teenagers were critically injured when a vehicle carrying eight members of a church group crashed on Florida's Turnpike in Osceola County on Saturday, authorities said.

The group, from Hialeah, had been on an outing to central Florida theme parks after attending a church service Friday night. They departed South Florida about 1 a.m. Saturday, and the accident occurred about four hours later, said Sgt. Jorge Delahoz, spokesman for the Florida Highway Patrol.

The driver and five passengers were thrown from the sports utility vehicle after the fatigued driver apparently lost control and the vehicle rolled two or three times, Delahoz said. The only two occupants who were wearing seat belts were not ejected, he said.

"It's awful. If they had been wearing their seat belts, this could probably all have been prevented," Delahoz told the Orlando Sentinel.

Michelle S. Lavalle, 22, died at the scene, Delahoz said.

Susana Blandon Alvare, 15, and Rachel Gil, 16, were taken to Orlando Regional Medical Center's trauma unit by helicopter, and were in critical condition.

The other passengers and the driver, Juan Mendoza, 24, were taken to area hospitals.

Troopers said Mendoza apparently was speeding, but the accident remained under investigation.

The Associated Press

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