A 19-year-old woman and three other people were killed Thursday afternoon in a series of crashes that snarled afternoon rush-hour traffic across east Orange County.

Trooper Kim Miller, a Florida Highway Patrol spokeswoman, said the three deadly crashes were reported in less than three hours.

The first, about 3:25 p.m., killed two women on State Road 50 near Tanner Road, Miller said. FHP said a 19-year-old woman, whose name could not be confirmed Thursday night, was driving a 2000 Mitsubishi Eclipse westbound when she lost control of the car and crossed into oncoming traffic on eastbound S.R. 50.

The Eclipse then crossed back toward the westbound lane and was broadsided on the driver's side by a Chevrolet Caprice driven by 58-year-old Lillian R. Bevivino. Both drivers were killed, investigators said.

A pickup following Bevivino's car also was involved in the crash. That driver, whose name also could not be verified, suffered minor injuries.

About two hours later, Miller said, three cars and a heavy-duty pickup were involved in a fiery crash on eastbound State Road 408 near Alafaya Trail. Miller said one person was killed in that crash and an unknown number of others were injured. Details of that crash were not available Thursday night.

Less than 30 minutes later, a third fiery crash was reported at Colonial Drive near State Road 520 that claimed another life, the FHP said.

Trooper Jonathan Gurgel said the driver of a Honda Accord was headed west on Colonial Drive about a half-mile west of S.R. 520 when that driver tried to pass a tractor-trailer, clipped the big rig and crossed into oncoming traffic. The Accord was broadsided by a Subaru Impreza, Gurgel said.

The driver of the tractor-trailer left the scene, Gurgel said. No other details of the crash were available Thursday night.

Alicia A. Caldwell & Scott Powers of the Sentinel staff contributed to this report.