1 dead, 2 hospitalized after crash on Card Sound Road into the Keys, firefighters say

One person died and two others hospitalized after local firefighters say two vehicles crashed into each other late Sunday night on Card Sound Road, one of two major arteries that lead in and out of the Florida Keys.

The crash happened around 10:20 p.m., the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office said, prompting a shutdown of the rural highway that remained in effect as of midnight.

Firefighters extricated two people from one of the cars, added Capt. David Garrido with the Key Largo Fire Department.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue flew two people to a mainland hospital to be treated for injuries, Garrido said. Their conditions were not immediately available.

Garrido noted the fatality was declared at the scene of the collision.

Card Sound Road, also known as County Road 905, serves multiple purposes. The roads is an alternative route to the more-traveled 18 Mile Stretch of U.S. 1 to get in and out of the Keys from the mainland. It is also the only way people can get to and from the ultra-exclusive gated Ocean Reef Club community.

This story will be updated as more information becomes available.

This story was originally published July 31, 2023 at 12:29 AM.