One dead, four seriously hurt in Keys crash
A young Key Largo man is dead and four others seriously injured after the SUV in which they were traveling struck a concrete barrier on U.S. 1 and flipped over, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
The single-car crash happened at 11:30 p.m. Tuesday at mile marker 120 on the 18 Mile Stretch of U.S. 1 that leads from Florida City into Key Largo. The highway was closed until 4:30 a.m. Wednesday.
Elliot Hamner, 22, was killed. The driver of the Lexus, Devontae J. Cooper, 21, was seriously injured and taken by ambulance to Homestead Hospital. Corey Flanagan, 19, Britany Brown, whose age was not immediately known, and Markia Anderson, 22, were taken to Jackson South Hospital in Kendall, according to the FHP’s accident report.
Two of them were taken there by helicopter air ambulance.
Also in the car were Alexander Amado, 22, who suffered minor injuries and was treated on the road, and Alexis Rivera, who was not injured, according to the FHP report.
Hamner was not wearing a seat belt, according to the report.
FHP Trooper Miguel Marquez wrote in his report that “for unknown reasons,” Cooper applied his brakes and hit the concrete barrier while driving south on the Stretch, causing the car to flip over.
The FHP is investigating the crash, and charges are “pending,” according to the report. Alcohol was not involved, Marquez marked on his report.
This story was originally published February 6, 2019 at 8:29 AM.
