Ezekiel Urrutia Obituary, Death; – The young man who lost his life in the wrong-way collision on Florida’s Turnpike in Broward County on Thursday has been identified by his family as a first responder awaiting employment with the Miami Fire Rescue Department.
The incident occurred in the northbound lanes of the Turnpike shortly after Red Road and was initially reported around 1:45 a.m. As per the Florida Highway Patrol, a 55-year-old woman was driving a 2010 grey Honda Element SUV in the wrong direction within the inside lane of the Turnpike.
The driver of a 2016 Honda Civic, a 23-year-old man, was unable to avoid the impending collision, resulting in a head-on crash between the two vehicles. Following the impact, the Element collided with a concrete barrier and overturned, while the Civic spun around.
The deceased 23-year-old has been identified by his family as Ezekiel Urrutia. Urrutia, a resident of Cutler Bay, did not survive the incident, while the woman from Hialeah sustained “incapacitating injuries,” according to officials. Urrutia’s mother stated that he was a paramedic who was in the process of being hired as a firefighter for the City of Miami.